My Dangerous Journey
by
Grant Boetsma

Mr. Bouman just finished reading the books Dangerous Journey and Pilgrims Progress to our fourth grade class. The story is about Christian who leaves the city of Destruction to reach the Celestial City. He faces hard times on his journey. He begins the journey with a huge burden on his back. He so badly want it to get off. Christian get to the empty cross when the burden comes of his back. The burden rolled down the hill into an empty tomb. The burden on Christian on Christian’s back were his sins. Now his sins were forgiven. He was given new clothes for the rest of his journey.
Christian faced many hard times on his way to the Celestial City. One of the first trouble he faces is a battle with Apollyon. Apollyon is like a dragon who represent Satan’s power. Apollyon is winning the battle at the start. Things look very bad for Christian. Apollyon is ready to spear Christian down and put him to death when Christian reaches his sword and seriously injures Apollyon. Apollyon retreats and stumbles away. God protects Christian in his confrontation with Satan.
At the end of the book Christian can see the Celestial City from the Cliff of Error. Hopeful is not able to see it like Christian can. As they keep walking Hopeful wonders if they are on the right path. Christian assures Hopeful they are on the right path. They arrive at the River of Death and two guards on the other side who are asked if the river is deep. The guards advise Christian to keep his eyes on the Celestial City, because then the river will remain shallow. After crossing the river of Death Christian is reunited with his friends Hopeful and Faithful. As they enter the Celestial City there is singing and dancing. They are entering Heaven on this glorious day. Eventually his entire family crosses the dangerous journey and enters into the Celestial City to join him there.
I have learned from this story that life is a journey. Just like Christian had a burden on his back, which was all of his sins, I too have a burden of sin. My sin came off when I believed that Jesus is my Saviour. Jesus’ death on the cross is important to me because now my sin has been paid for and I can go to heaven. Life for me will be filled with many temptations. I need to be like Christian who chose the hard but right path in his life.