roads

A glowing bridge connects rocky cliffs to a majestic city floating among clouds at sunset. — Image generated via AI.

The Million Dollar Highway—that breathtaking stretch of U.S. 550 between Ouray and Silverton—has earned its reputation for jaw‑dropping beauty and white‑knuckle curves. It clings to the mountainside like a ribbon of courage, winding through Red Mountain Pass with no guardrails, sheer drops, and scenery so stunning it almost feels unreal.

But even this legendary road is only a faint whisper of another roadway scripture describes—the Streets of Gold in New Jerusalem. One road demands courage; the other is the reward for a life of faith.

The Million Dollar Highway is gorgeous, but it’s not gentle. It’s narrow. It’s steep. It’s unpredictable. It requires your full attention. In many ways, it mirrors the Christian journey—a path filled with breathtaking moments of God’s goodness, yet also sharp turns, storms, and stretches where you grip the wheel and pray. Jesus described the life of faith as a narrow road:

“But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:14

Like that Colorado highway, the narrow road isn’t always comfortable. It’s not always safe. But it is always worth it. Revelation 21:21 gives us a glimpse of heaven’s streets—pure gold, like transparent glass. No potholes. No cliffs. No danger. No fear. Where the Million Dollar Highway demands courage, the Streets of Gold rewardit. Where the Million Dollar Highway has drop-offs, heaven has foundations of precious stones (Revelation 21:19). Where the Million Dollar Highway winds through shadows, heaven has no night at all (Revelation 21:25). The roads of earth test us. The roads of heaven welcome us.

On the Million Dollar Highway, you learn to trust your brakes, your steering, and your sense of direction. On the road of life, you learn to trust God. Proverbs 3:5–6 says:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart… and He will make your paths straight.”

Even when the path feels like a cliffside curve, God is the One who keeps you steady. And when the journey is over, He leads you to a city where the roads don’t test your faith—they testify to it.

The Million Dollar Highway gives you million‑dollar views—mountains glowing red, valleys carved by time, peaks that scrape the sky. But Scripture says heaven’s glory makes even earth’s greatest beauty look dim by comparison. Romans 8:18 reminds us:

“The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory
that will be revealed in us.”

The best scenery on earth is just a preview. A trailer. A teaser of the real thing.

The Million Dollar Highway is a journey you’ll never forget. The Streets of Gold are a destination you’ll never regret. One shows you the majesty of creation. The other shows you the majesty of the Creator. One requires courage to travel. The other is the reward for traveling faithfully. One is carved into mountains. The other is carved into eternity.

If your life feels like that cliffside road—narrow, steep, and a little scary—remember this: You’re not driving alone. God is with you on every mile, every curve, every climb. And at the end of the journey, there’s a city waiting for you—radiant, safe, joyful—where the roads shine like gold, and the presence of God lights every step.

At the entrance to my subdivision there is road construction. I can only exit and enter by going one way while they upgrade the infrastructure, water, electric, and sewer that runs along the road, or under it. Then, they will put down a new road, with new lane stripes and new signs. They say it will take 6 months to complete. It has already been two and a half.

If that wasn’t enough to endure, they have torn up a major highway interchange just blocks from the road I mentioned above. It is reported to take two years to finish. The officials say, “Go slow. Proceed with caution. Be patient. It will be worth it in the end.”

As I have shared in previous posts, I married a Filipino woman in 2019. Soon after the wedding, we worked with an immigration attorney to get the process started to bring my wife to America. I lived in the Philippines for several months until I needed an eye procedure. We discussed the situation and felt it was best if I came back to America to have it done here. Thinking her immigration process wouldn’t take that long and she would follow me here shortly. It seemed as if they had missed placed her file and then shortly after they started working on her case, Covid hit.

At the time of this writing, my wife is still not here with me. There have been lots of conversations with God about the process and questions of, “Why is it taking so long?” Walking with God in life is definitely a journey. As we are now getting toward the end of the immigration process I can look back and see with greater understanding. I can see how God has updated power lines in our lives making sure that in the future we look to him for uninterrupted power to live by. He has put in a new sewer system to remove the waste and potentially toxic aspects of our personalities away safely and quickly. My wife compares my temper to passing gas. She says, “It stinks at first, but it doesn’t last long.” She has learned to let me vent and then we can return to our regularly scheduled life already in progress.

If God didn’t take the time to pour new pavement in our lives we would be traveling with him on dirt, and when the storms come get bogged down in mud. Yuk! If he only put down stones travel would be easier but it would be a bumpy and rough ride. Not enjoyable at all. But God has used the time, while waiting for her immigration to be completed, to put down nice smooth pavement. When the final touches are completed my wife and I will be able to come and go quickly in any direction with ease. We will be able to see the lanes we should stay in so we avoid head on collisions and harm.

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

Yes, walking with God is difficult at times, and it is hard to see what He is doing, because some improvements are below the surface. At times it’s hard to understand why it is taking so long, but He would say, “Go slow. Proceed with caution. Be patient. It will be worth it in the end.”

Brady, Mark A.

Blogs connecting you to God, and other content from my mind.

The Million Dollar Highway and the Streets of Gold

Road Construction

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

He has shown you, O man, what is good;And what does the Lord require of youBut to do justly,To love mercy,And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8 (NKJV)