It’s not often I wake up with Elton John singing away in my head. Not that I don’t like Elton, because I heart much of his old stuff from my youth, but I don’t recall it ever being his tunes whose melodies lure me into consciousness.

(This is where some of you younger readers will say, “But wait, remember that one time that you wrote about his such-and-such song?” and I’ll quip back, “But wait, remember that one time when I turned 50?”)

I threw back the covers this morning with Elton bidding farewell to the yellow brick road.

So goodbye yellow brick road, where the dogs of society howl. You can’t lock me in your penthouse, I’m going back to my plow. Back to the howling old owl in the woods, hunting the horny-back toad. Oh I’ve finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick road…

We certainly spend a lot of time on that road, don’t we? The one that will lead us to ________? Maybe it’s a new relationship, new career, new house…new life. Whatever it is that will, if we can just get to it, make us happy. We take great care of the mortar between the bricks, landscaping the green belt that lines the walkways, our every move laser-focused on our footfall to the next band of yellow ahead.

But you know what?

While we might eventually reach one of those ________, I’ve noticed that it’s never the end of that road. Because that moment of happiness does not an eternity make. You’re right back out there, seeking and seeking the next thing.

I’m wondering what would happen if we, like Elton, ditched the yellow brick road for one paved in gold. What if we just focused on taking care of our lives based on that road, heartscaping the souls that line the road less-traveled, here on this old planet, as we make our way to that eternal golden way to complete fulfillment?

I bet we’d trade temporary happiness for lasting joy.

I bet we might truly begin to understand purpose.

I bet we’d finally get a glimpse of who we really are.

We’re just passing through, my friends. The yellow brick road is just a cheap imitation of the real thing. Don’t get lost in its illusive promises.

After all, your future lies beyond it, on streets made of gold.

“And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass…” Revelation 21:21 ESV

“If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.” Hebrews 11:15-16 ESV

“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” Romans 12:2 MSG

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 NLT

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9 ESV