My normal walking route at home coils and climbs through a rural landscape. The three-mile round trip is one I’ve walked hundreds of times. I could do it with my eyes closed, although not a good idea for obvious reasons. I know every rise and fall, twist and turn. The landscape is familiar. I don’t need to rely on anyone to get me from point A to point B.
My husband is an ultra-runner; he spends his time running on trails. Some are familiar to him, others new. He has run several 50Ks through unfamiliar forests over challenging terrain. Or half marathons that wind through strange neighborhoods and snaking golf course paths. Unlike my walking route, he must rely on the flags and markers placed along the race route to make sure he’s stays on course. Missing one of those markers could result in him getting lost, leading him off the trail, and delaying him from reaching his desired destination.
On this journey called life, we don’t always get to walk on the familiar path. Challenges arise seemingly out of nowhere. An unexpected diagnosis. A job transfer that moves you across the state or country. A financial loss. A prodigal child. We find ourselves lost and stumbling on an unfamiliar path. Turning this way and that only to find ourselves right back where we started with no clear direction. Desperately seeking a way out. Looking for the flag that shows us where to go.
But the flip side is that sometimes we are so comfortable on the familiar path that we miss opportunities to explore. A surprising job opportunity that excites and scares you. A new relationship that has your heart racing with promise and fear. An opportunity to use your gifts to serve but it means stepping outside of your comfort zone. In these circumstances, the comfort of the known can deprive us of the blessing of the unexpected.
Regardless of the circumstance, the problem is the same. Our eyes are fixed on the path instead of the One who created it.
While circumstances and opportunities may surprise you, they are no surprise to God. He crafted your path with love and care before you existed. He created a life for you that would bless you abundantly. And He knew that you would deviate from the path, following your own desires and worldly pull. He knew that you would become too comfortable or too distracted to pay attention to the flags marking the route.
There have been many times when I wish my college-aged daughter had listened to my advice. Trusted that I knew a little more than she did. Trusted my experience. Trusted my mistakes. Trusted my deeply rooted desire to save her from self-inflicted detours that robbed her of joy and contentment. I wanted to force her to listen and do what I knew was best for her. But I didn’t. For the same reason God allows us free will. I want her to grow and mature into a strong competent woman who can navigate life with courage, strength, and faith. So that means I must let her stumble. I must let her wander. I must wait until she comes to me.
But in the waiting, I send her flags. God sent us Jesus.
Jesus is like the sweepers who go out at the end of a trail race. They go out to find lost runners. Those who have wandered off the marked trail. Those who haven’t checked in. Those in danger of being on the course when darkness sets in. The sweepers know the course intimately. They have walked it, likely setting flags before the race began. They know the spots that can deceive. What is unknown to racers is known to sweepers. What is unknown to us is known to Jesus.
What I have learned on my spiritual journey is that it isn’t my responsibility to mark my path. My focus isn’t to be on the journey, but on the One who fashioned my journey. When I am watching my steps, I’m focused on me. I am trusting myself to know where to go. How fast to move. What turns to take. And in this selfish trek, I miss opportunities and I am disabled by the unexpected.
Psalm 25:4-5 is one of my favorite verses: “Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.”
Show. Point out. Lead. Teach. We need to submit to the will of God. To have open hearts and open minds to be shown. To be led. To be taught. We must be willing to receive God’s gracious direction. We must seek it. We must set aside what we think is best for the truth of what God knows is best. Self-reliance leads to wandering. God-reliance leads home.
That’s a walk I can make with my eyes closed.
Click here for this week’s accompanying prayer: https://simplyjoy.online/prayers/trust/show-me-my-path/