Emily stood on the shore with her eyes searching the sea. Somewhere on the other side, a place she had heard about but never seen, existed. In between her and that new land was a vast sea.

Her heart felt drawn to that land. There was something special there. Something that would fill her with peace and joy like nothing she had ever experienced on this side. She had read that there was no evil there, no pain, no tears, no torment, no depression, no loneliness, no fear… it went on and on. And this place, too wonderous to describe fully, would last forever.

Even more important, there was a someone there. A king. She had read about him, too, and longed to be with him. In her heart, against all common sense, she knew he loved her and invited her to be his wife. She didn’t know how she knew, but she did as firmly as she believed the land existed. And she wanted that with all her heart.

But between him and her was the sea.

There was no way she could swim across its vastness. She had tried. The gentle rolling waves hadn’t been a problem, but they didn’t stay that way. Sometimes storms had exploded around her, enclosing her in the turmoil of crashing waves before casting her back on shore. Each time as she lay in the wet sand gasping for air, she had vowed she wouldn’t try again. But then would come that sweet call.

Even if the storms hadn’t been there, she’d have had to face the life-threatening dangers that lurked beneath the surface. And without a doubt, she wouldn’t have had the stamina to make it all the way. She thought of herself as a good swimmer, but no one could swim across an ocean.

No, she needed another method to cross the barrier between her and her betrothed.

She noticed other people on the shore looking in the same direction. And moving through this crowd were people handing out differently colored brochures. Curious, she reached for a blue one when it got close enough.

Want to cross the sea? We can help. We have the largest boat with the longest history of success. Come join us. We can get you there. Contact RCC at RCC.org.

Hope rose in her. A boat! And a big one at that, which meant many people believed this boat could do what it promised. Joining her faith with theirs, she took out her phone. But before she could open her browser, someone handed her a pink flyer.

Come check out our newly updated speedboat. Built for travel, this baby can get you all the way across the sea before the other boats leave shore. Smaller means more personal attention as you travel to your dream destination. Call 1-800-WOF-GMYM to reserve your spot today.

Oooo, that sounded even better. A fast trip would mean facing less storms. She began dialing the number but stopped when she was handed yet another piece of paper, this one yellow.

Forget the rest, sail with the best! Why chance fuel shortage or motor problems on your way to your future? We have the biggest, sturdiest sails ever made. Let us help you get where you want to go. Send a message to us at TT@OTR.com for more information.

Beginning to get confused, she looked at the three papers in her hand. Were they all right? Could they all get her there and it was just a matter of which made her feel the most comfortable? She almost didn’t want to take the green one being offered to her now.

Solar powered is the way to go! No chance of running out of fuel when you travel by the power of the sun. We have state of the art panels in sufficient number to make us the fastest, more reliable way to take you wherever you want to go. Contact us at mibto.com.

Which to choose? After considering the pros and cons of each, she decided to go with the speed boat. The faster she got there, the longer she would have to enjoy the presence of the one she longed for. She made the call.

A week after setting out, she was beginning to wonder if she had made the right choice. With no covering, everyone was sunburned and wet. The wind blew forcibly, drenching them with the spray created by the front of the boat as it cut through waves. And the worst thing was – no matter how fast they went, they never seem to put distance between themselves and the other boats she could see scattered across the sea. Could she change boats?

Shading her eyes from both sun and spray, she scanned the sea for a likely candidate. She immediately spotted the large one that had been featured on the blue paper. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to get on that boat. It had a large passenger section below deck. No sunburn. No wet clothes. It might be slower, but it would be more comfortable.

“Captain, is it possible to change boats?”

“Sure, which one do you want to get one?”

“The big one over there,” she pointed.

“Are you sure? It’s big and clumsy and moves very slowly.”

“It seems to be going as fast as you. I’m sure.”

The captain wasn’t thrilled, but motored up next to the big boat. A plank was lowered to help her cross and within minutes she was waving goodbye to the speedboat.

The relief of the shade was delicious. She sat on one of the benches, closed her eyes, and savored the dark coolness. Yes, this was much better.

But a month later, she decided it wasn’t. She didn’t like being kept in the dark, and whenever she surfaced to ask the sailors about their expected arrival time, they always answered the same way. “We don’t know, but we’re moving so we should get there eventually.” She could see the same boats each time she looked out across the sea, and the horizon never seemed to be getting any closer. At this rate, she would never get there. Time to jump ships again.

As time went on, she continued to jump from ship to ship, but no matter which one she was on, even though it appeared to be moving, never seemed to get her closer to her destination. She did notice that some of the other boats seemed to be going in circles before disappearing behind her. Other boats zipped and zapped from one direction to another as they avoided the larger waves. And still others were stranded as their power failed them. At least one ship had overturned. Good thing she had left that one before it sunk.

Discouraged that she would never get there, she sat with her head down, careful to keep lower than the sail when it swung by her. As bad as it was sitting out in the sun again, getting knocked overboard would be worse. Suddenly she heard a sound coming from the sky. Looking up, she spotted a helicopter heading for a distant boat. She watched as it lowered itself for a few minutes, and then headed for another boat. No one she asked knew what it was doing, and most didn’t care.

She continued watching the helicopter as it flew ever closer to her boat. Finally, it hovered over her boat as it had done with the others.

“Anyone want to go to the land across the sea?” a friendly man’s voice boomed over the splash of the waves. “If so, come on up.”

“We’re already heading there,” one person said.

“So you think,” the man’s voice answered. “But you won’t get there by boat. You need me.”

“Why?” another person asked. “What’s so special about your way?”

“It’s the only way to cross the chasm between the sea and the land.”

Everyone looked at each other, Chasm? It didn’t make sense. There was no chasm between the sea and where they had come from. How could there be one between the sea and where they were going? The people began to discuss the idea.

“I don’t believe it,”

“I’m fine where I am.”

“But what if he’s right?”

“There’s no proof that he’s telling the truth.”

“This boat has gotten us this far; it will get us the rest of the way.”

“He’s up there while we’re down here. We can’t see what he can.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. He just wants all the attention.”

“Well, anyone taking me up on my invitation?” the man in the helicopter called, breaking up the discussion.

Most people shook their heads, but a few stood up. “I want to,” they said. “What do I have to do?”

“Reach up,” the man answered. “I’ll take it from there.”

Emily didn’t know who to believe. The people who seemed so sure of themselves, or the man she had heard but not seen? She looked at the ones with their arms raised, standing firmly in their decision in spite of the laughter and ridicule being directed at them. She felt the urge to raise her arms, too. Should she give in to it or ignore it?

While trying to decide she watched as the helicopter lowered even more, and a strong arm reached down and grasped the uplifted hands. She watched as people were pulled up and into the helicopter.

“Anyone else?” said the man. “You may not get another chance.”

Not being able to make a decision, Emily did nothing. She was surprised at the regret she felt as she watched the helicopter rise and turn towards the elusive land. On its back was written two words: The Way.

One day not long after the helicopter had left, she heard the captain yell, “We made it!”

Emily stood up and looked in the direction he was pointing. A golden glow rose in the horizon, promising the fulfillment of their efforts. Relieved, she sat back down. It had been a long journey, but they had been right. They had made it on their own.

Suddenly the captain cried out, “What in the world is that?”

Jumping up, she stared where he was pointing. Instead of seeing endless hills of waves, the sea had flattened out. It was as if the waves had just ended. And between the flatness and the golden glow was a wide line of darkness, as if there was nothing there. No water, no shore. Just emptiness.

With a sinking heart, Emily knew by not making a decision, she had made the wrong one. She along with everyone else now faced the consequence of rejecting the only way to the shore that they each desperately wanted. It was too late.

Or was it? What if the helicopter came back one more time? Maybe if she waved her arms and called out, the helicopter man would notice and come back to rescue her.

It was worth a try.

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What do you think? Was she rescued – or was it too late? Is it ever too late to be saved? Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13