Walking the Woods

My good friend Jo visited yesterday and she never fails to lift my spirits and inspire me. When she left, I took a walk through our woods and this prayer came to me…

Dear Lord, thank you for the doorways, thank you for the stairways; thank you for the grassy fields and the rough terrain.  Thank you for the leaf strewn paths and the snowy trails. Thank you Lord for the freeways and the highways, the dirt roads and the driveways. Thank you for the rocky Moors and the snowy cliffs. Thank you Lord, for the smooth sidewalks and the bumpy pathways.

Thank you Lord that no matter where we are in life, rough roads crop up. Rocks appear in our path, we hit slippery patches, stormy weather, icy mountain roads and rocky cliffs to climb. But in the big picture it really doesn’t matter. Whatever it is we are given in this life, whatever it is that befalls us -by happenstance or by design – is never insurmountable with You by our side.

You have created it all; the soft grassy field and the slippery rocky terrain. And with You by our side on this walk of life, we need never fear falling or failure. Because You, our vast, limitless Creator are journeying with us, helping us negotiate every step of the way. You know every crevasse, every stumbling block, every icy patch to avoid…

And He knows exactly when we won’t avoid them, too. On purpose, by our own choice, or by accident or circumstance. Either way,  He’s got our back. He steadies us when we stumble. He catches us when we fall. He guides us, leads us and urges us down the right path.

His touch is a gentle one though, He will never force you. He will never create the itinerary, but only make suggestions and hint at the better way to go, with His still, small voice.

There is a path, there is a way, there is the Light of Truth. He’s there, right there, on the path with you; beckoning, urging, asking, inviting.

The paved path is there, also available. It is the one that most take. It is easy, it is familiar, it is highly populated. It seems like the best choice at first glance; it is a well worn path. And  comfortable, oh so comfortable! And it barely requires a choice at all. You end up on it by default. When you choose not to choose.
But you can choose to be deliberate.  Be proactive,  Be decisive! Make a decision. Your decision. Don’t let life decide for you.