I was thinking this morning about paths and journeys. They can all take different formats. My journey at the moment is difficult - I have no idea what lies ahead or what to do about my future and it scares me! Where am I headed? What job should I do? Should I move back up North? What is God saying? Will my health be ok? How will I afford stuff? What does God have planned? Definitely need to trust God more and stop worrying!
Our paths can take any number of styles and can go through many different terrains. I have (hopefully) put a few inspiring images here to reflect upon (you can definitely tell I'm a teacher - I like to cater for the visual learners also!). Here are some thoughts I had:
- Sometimes the path may be plain sailing and it feels like we are at peace, at rest, enjoying the view - a bit like a beautiful stroll on the beach at sunset with the water lapping at our feet. Everything seems ok with the world. Yet I am reminded here of the struggle also - and the footprints poem, where two sets of footprints (one belonging to the walker, one belonging to God) suddenly turned into one set. It was then that God carried the walker. In our tough times, God carries us! Awesome.
- Other times the path may be full of twists and turns. It can be quite windy and almost unsettling. We long for a straight highway where there is no sickness or dizziness. But this can also be fun, exciting, full of adventure, surprising and also make us appreciative of the times God brings us to a clear, open pathway.
- Sometimes our path can become arid and cracked and dry. We need refreshing. We need water. We need comfort. How amazing that if we choose God, we will never thirst. He satisfies our needs. He quenches our thirst. Perhaps, if this is your path right now, why don't you sit and soak up the love and eternal refreshing water that God has to offer?
- Other times the path can be like one uphill struggle and battle. We feel crushed, bruised, battered, windswept, lacking in energy and like we can't go on. The easiest thing to do would be to turn around and go back down the mountain. But if we don't climb the mountains we never get to see the awesome view at the top and we don't learn as much or experience as much. Plus we can rejoice in the things we overcome along the way. Sometimes during these times it is worth celebrating each step you take towards the top, rather than beating yourself up over the distance left to climb.
- One of my favourite pieces of advice is that 'mountain top experiences are great but if you live on the mountain there is no air and so nothing grows'. Things grow in the valley where is is luscious and moist and full of life! Even in the valley times, you are there for a reason. They may seem hard, but they are there for a reason. Similarly desert experiences can be testing, but the desert often takes you to a quiet place, away from the noise and commotion of life so you can focus solely upon God.
So, I was praying about my journey and my path the other day and asking God for direction. I happened to be doing the washing up at the time, and, just as I prayed for direction, the next thing I picked to wash up was my housemate's 'ONE DIRECTION' mug (as in the X Factor boy band One Direction). It was so funny - I was like 'thanks God'. But it really rang a bell and struck a chord. Paths and terrains change. We go through different seasons, we see different views and landscapes, we experience different challenges, twists and turns. But at the end of the day the most important thing is the direction you are going in. Are you headed for eternity with Christ? Or are you running up the wrong path? Are you focussed on life to the full, grace, love, comfort, compassion, eternal life, freedom, redemption, joy, peace, and all of the many wonderful things that blossom from walking the path with Christ, or are you too bothered about worldly treasures, your walking shoes, what you look like, keeping the same scenery or whatever to notice that you may be on the wrong path?
Where is your path headed? Are you certain of what there will be at the end? Are you headed in 'one direction' or are you too distracted by other things that you don't notice that perhaps you have wondered off track? (Remember Red Riding Hood who was told to stick to the path in the forest, but instead wondered off to pick flowers and look at the butterflies? She ended up encountering the wolf!).
But whatever your path, whatever stage you are at, whether walking, running, sprinting, crawling... let us remember that God walks with us wherever we go, He will never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1v9), He has plans to prosper us and give us hope (Jeremiah 29v11), He goes before us to level the mountains (Isaiah 45v2) and will make our paths straight (Proverbs 3v6). And if we do go off track, we have a great God who is full of grace and who will reach down and pick us up and set us on our way again.
Have a blessed journey today.
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