Last summer, on a trip to Maine, my husband and I spent a day hiking at Camden Hills State Park. The weather and vegetation were beautiful. The trails were much more rigorous than the ones we hike in our home state of Florida, but we were excited by the challenge. Light blue dots painted on trees provided reassurance that hikers would eventually arrive at their destination. The trail out was wide, heavily traveled and well marked making the dots nearly irrelevant. We hiked to the peak of Mount Megunticook and enjoyed the stunning view. We were captivated by the beauty and lack of humidity and decided to keep hiking in pursuit of the next scenic location, Maiden’s Cliff Trail. It was a perfect day, until we realized how long and how far we had traveled and there was no fast, easy way back to our car.
Our water supply was nearly exhausted when we began the long trek back. A conversation with fellow hikers, led us to choose an alternate trail for the return, one that would be a bit shorter. It was narrow, strenuous and sometimes obscure. The distance between blue dots was at times distressing. My feet were unsure where to go, my heart pounded in response to my nerves and my mind raced with fearful thoughts. Just when I was certain we were lost in the woods, 1,456 miles from home, a blue dot would emerge and provide the necessary reassurance that we were exactly on course.
So many times in my life, I have discovered that this is exactly how it is on my journey with God. I want to be obedient and live the life He has planned for me. I head out on the path He has put in front of me and take one step at a time. The journey thus far has taken me through dark valleys and up to gorgeous peaks. Both have taught me more about God, His love and plan for me than I ever knew before. So much would have been missed if I had never ventured out in obedience.
Most recently, His voice has called me to a new path, one that brings to an end an adventure that began 18 years ago. The call to the new path is clear, unmistakable and produces the confidence to say, “Yes!” The path is uncharted, unfamiliar and uneasy. Fear emerges and calls me to battle. My heart cries out for a blue dot to reassure me that each planting of my foot is a step in the right direction.
To battle my fear, I go to the only place that calms my heart and settles my soul, the Word of God. Isaiah 43:1 reminds me, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!”
Luke 12:22-26 says, And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life’s span? If then you cannot do even a very little thing, why do you worry about other matters?
Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.
This current new path is admittedly uncomfortable. I am a planner and a doer and this time of waiting and rest, even though appealing and necessary, is difficult. While the destination is unknown to me, I can trust that God knows exactly where we are going and will lead me step by step. Therefore, I will follow the words of Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord. And Isaiah 30:15, For thus the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said,“In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.”
So I will keep doing what He told me to do last until He tells me what to do next. I will keep looking for the “blue dots” that continue to confirm my path.
Where are you in your journey? I would love to know.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
