Your Path

As seen in the HEARTbeat and the Village Voice

“Your Path”

            When I say the word “path,” what do you picture?  Maybe it’s one of the many walking dirt paths that crisscross our city.  Maybe you have pedaled one of the asphalt bicycle paths in Central Arkansas.  No matter the location, each path is different in its location, its composition, and especially the scenery surrounding its sides.

            Think about this: when you walk on one of the dirt paths through the woods, do you walk it like anyone else?  The answer to that is a resounding no.  Your walk is unique to you.  Your gait is unique to you, and the force with which you strike the ground is unique to you.  In other words, no two people walk the same path exactly the same way.  We may travel down the same path, but we have our own unique way of navigating it.

            To make my point, if you have carpet in your house, look carefully at it.  If there are stairs, you can see one section of the step has a little more wear on it than the other parts.  We tend to start the climb with the same foot, placed in the same spot on each step.  We are creatures of habit, and we move around our homes with habitual methods.

            But going back to our uniqueness.  I invite you to walk down a dirt path, then stop and turn around.  Are the footprints behind you unique to your footwear?  Of course they are.  The imprints in the soft dirt are impressions from the footwear you have on.  Even if someone had the same brand of shoe or boot, your footprint impression would be unique to you because of all the qualities I mentioned above, such as gait, force, etc.

            God has us on a path.  He has a plan for each of us.  Many of you are now realizing the point I’m about to make.  God’s path for us is unique to only us.  There are no two people exactly alike because of the way God specially knitted us together.  When He created a path for us to travel through life, the path He created is ours and belongs to no one else.  The experiences we have on the path are the ones God wants us to feel, learn from, and experience the joys we will have along the way.  We learn what God wants us to learn.  We experience Him in a way no one else will experience Him because our path is unique to us and us alone.

            God loves us so much that He took the time to create us, our plan, and a path for us to take that is our path.  We can rest assured God will reveal Himself along our path in ways He has predestined just for us, and they will be joyous revelations.

            As you travel down your path today, know it is yours, chosen by God, and no matter what you will experience, He will bear you up under any pressures you may encounter.  He knows what will elate you, what will challenge you, and what will grow you.  Your path is your purpose given to you by God Himself.  It is special and it is yours!  Travel it well.