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Paths

 It is Monday morning and I am one week into my revised schedule at McDougal Chapel.  In front of me is a week of hanging around the office and in our community.  I look forward to being around my friends for this week. (If you want to go for coffee, message me please)


Behind me was a week of fun and reflection.  I spent some time trudging through snow with snowshoes strapped to my feet.  It was fun.  It was a workout.  It was good for my brain.

Here were some of my thoughts as I did my wandering.

  • I wonder if bigfoot exists?  There is so much space for him to hid and be elusive.  I wonder if he was watching me as I trekked through the bush?
  • How did I ever get so lucky to live in this amazing province and country?  Only by God's grace for sure.  There is no other reason.
  • Who puts wooden steps in the middle of a wilderness hike?  Don't they realize I cannot do those while wearing snowshoes?
  • The path I am on is well marked, why isn't my path in life as well marked?

That last thought really got my attention.  The recreational paths I was on were marked well and I could see the tracks of those who had gone before.  However, when I look at my own life, the path is not nearly as clear.  It reminded me of Psalm 119:105 which says...

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.


I feel that in my personal life and in my life as a pastor, the path is not very well marked out.  How many times have I gone off the trail?  How many times have I lost the trail?  

    The times are too many!

I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way.  Wrong decisions happen to us all.  Sometimes we know better and sometimes we have no idea that we have even wandered off the path. 

My dad used to tell me that he would never get lost and that he has a strong internal map in his head.  He would usually make that proclamation right when we were lost somewhere.  It really was his way to admit he had made a navigational error somewhere.  We would all laugh and then he would go ask someone for help and directions.

How often do I think I can depend on my experience, my knowledge and my personal feelings to navigate this life.  Could I be so wrong?

I need Jesus.  I need a guide, a light to my path.  Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.  There is really not much room for me in that equation.  "Lord, may I be humble enough to follow you?"

I had a great time wandering in the bush of Alberta on snowshoes.  I learned much about myself.  However this week, I want to take what I have learned and start to transfer it into a plan for the future - I am going to hit the books for a bit.

My future and the future of McDougal Chapel are on my mind and I want to make sure I am on the right path.  I do this not because I am so brilliant, but because I follow someone who is.

(Next post - Some thoughts on the war in Ukraine)

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