Signposts

Recently I went for a walk in a park I'd never been to before.  I wasn't very familiar with the lay of the land, but somehow I stumbled on a sign that indicated I was about to embark on one of the walking paths. The trail was actually a sidewalk that went all through the park, around a couple of lakes, and into a wooded area.  

As I was walking I realized my confidence was a little bit shaky. Since the park was new to me, I really had no bearings, and in the forest my view was blocked on both sides, so I could only see the sidewalk in front of me. Then I came to a place where the sidewalk forked -- I was really guessing at that point!  As I continued on I thought, "Did I make the right choice? Am I still on the trail?"

All of a sudden, a signpost appeared. It indicated the distance I had already come (which wasn't that far), and the best part was an arrow which pointed the way of the path. What a relief -- information!  I was headed in the direction I wanted to go.

                                                                                                                                                            Of course, all of this started me thinking about how I've experienced so many of these same circumstances when I've made some kind of life decision and proceeded to carry it out. I knew what the path was supposed to look like, but as I continued to move on it, I found there were times that I had no bearings, and all that was in view were the steps in front of me. I kept running into decision points and wasn't sure which way to turn -- all the while trying to continue to move forward, trying to trust that what I could see was still the path.

But every now and then, a signpost would appear with information that revitalized me. Perhaps it was simply a song on the radio, or something I'd read in a book. Sometimes it was words from a friend, or a line in a sermon, or hearing about someone else who'd walked the road before me. In those moments I felt like I did when I saw that sign in the woods. It was confirmation. It was "yes, the steps that you're taking are the right steps; you are still on the path, still heading toward your destination."

It's my faith that a loving God makes sure that the signposts are there for me, and when I encounter them I experience His gentle care and the pledge of His guidance on my journey. But regardless of what we see as the Source of these signposts, I think the important thing for us is that we don't miss them as we travel along our course -- that we lift up our downcast eyes, and purpose to be aware of more than what is just at our feet -- allowing ourselves to receive the affirmation they extend to us.

Sometimes, when we're on new trails or are trying to find our way through things, we do yearn to know how long the road is, or how far we've already come. But most of the time I think, when we're in the middle of it all, we really just need to know that we're going in the right direction. 

Kay

www.confidentconflict.com