The Paths We Take

Do you ever have those moments where something you are doing brings back a specific memory?  It happened to me this morning while taking the garbage down to the curb, of all things.  You never know when God is going to speak to you, right?

As I walked towards the garbage can, I noticed there was thick frost on the grass. Immediately I was taken back to those early morning soccer games in Ohio where the whole field was covered in frost.  I would get my soccer ball and start passing it back and forth with a teammate.  The ball would glide faster down its path then it usually did. This wasn’t because I suddenly had more strength in my kick, it was because it was helped along its path by the frost.  I loved watching it’s speed, and most of the time, its straight and accurate path as it reached its intended destination.

As I stood in my front yard remembering this, God showed me how it was a metaphor for our lives and the paths we take.  Our paths are controlled by Him. It isn’t our strength or control guiding us down the path to the destination, it’s His.  We are reminded of this in Psalm 23:3 – “He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” Our paths rarely follow a straight line. Most of the time there are wavers and even circles. However, if we can hold fast to His paths, our feet will not slip. (Psalm 17:5).

Standing in the yard this morning, I pretended to kick a ball down the field. I remembered what it was like to see the path the ball left behind as it traveled. Suddenly, a clear path of green grass would appear, leaving behind any traces of frost. The path was easy to see, looking at it from my behind. Seldom do we get such a view of God’s path for our life. Normally, it’s after we reach His intended target, that we are able to look back and see the carved out path.

This is where trust and faith come in. It’s believing we will reach the end of His path for us and can look back and see it clearly marked with all frost left behind. As humans we will always have a different view of the path we take. His way is perfect. It won’t be our strength or speed getting us to the goal.  It will be His power and will for our lives. Trust in Him and remember no matter what path you are on:

“All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.” Psalm 25:10