take a hike
I love to hike. I love just being in the middle of God's creation away
from cell phones, televisions, and computers. It makes me feel closer to
God. I especially love a trail I've never ventured before. I love the
excitement of not knowing what's ahead. I usually know the destination, but
not always how I'm going to get there. Even if I have a map to go by, those
directions are mapped by someone else's experience of the journey.
I was hiking a trail recently that I often walk because it is convenient. My
mind began to wander about the trail being like this road we call life. I
noticed the curves, hills, and the bumpy spots. Our journey of life is not
always an easy path. I saw the areas in the woods off the trail that looked
like fun places to explore and what looked like a nice stream turned out to
be some sort of sewer system. Sometimes what looks enticing are places that
will only hinder our progress. There were stopping points to look over the
land or just rest. I think it is important to rest. Obviously God does too
or He wouldn't have taken an entire day out of the first week to rest. It is
also good to reflect on where we've been and where we're going and marvel at
God's faithfulness.
On this trail there were forks in the road. One route looked a little more
taxing, the other appeared to be easier but turned out to take much longer
to finish. There were some turn-off paths that looked interesting but turned
out to be dead ends, which meant I had to turn around to get on the main
trail. The good news is that you can turn around and get on the right road.
There was a place that I knew would be tricky getting across, but there was
a bridge to transport me across to get to my destination--my car.
We all have a road mapped by God. There is a route that is best for us. And
there are ways we can chose to go that could take us longer but find the
same end. To get there, Jesus is our bridge. And there is no other way to
Heaven.
So, as Margy would tell me when I start over-analyzing things, "Take a
hike!" |
