Peace and Purpose

After the storms have passed

There is peace.

After the storms have passed

There is rest.

Sometimes

It is best

To sit

And contemplate

The peace

Rather than to 

Rush headlong

Down the same

Worn paths.

In the peace after the storm

Seek purpose.

In the peace after the storm

Seek meaning.

Then

You can best

Determine

The path

Forward

To the next

Adventure

Awaiting

Just ahead.

They Went That Way!

Trails have always interested me.  It may seem strange to most people, but I wonder things like, how many times did an animal have to  pass over that same stretch of ground for the trail to become obvious?  Was it one animal or, multiple animals?  How long did it take for it to become a developed trail?  Do they have road crews that survey the path and remove any obstacle? -- maybe add gravel or, pavement?  Okay, maybe not the part about the road crews, but the rest of the questions really do cross my mind when I see game trails in the woods or, the pasture.

Animals are as much creatures of habit as are people.  It's something that hunters learn because those habits make the animal predictable.  It's also something landowners learn because trails cross fences too -- or, more likely go under them.  I've seen where the feral hogs have crossed under a fence to the point they create a deep mud hole that can become so bad cattle will exploit the opening.

Why do we tend to follow the same old pathways time and time again?  I was strongly reminded of that fact yesterday as I spent a good portion of my day on Interstate 35.  It is a pathway chosen by far too many people.  When I got to the north side of Waco (I was heading north) I decided I had enough of the fun and took the back roads the rest of the way home.  I breathed a sigh of relief when I could look ahead and not see a single car.

I definitely prefer the back roads.  I also prefer to get off the beaten path when I'm out in the woods or, the pasture.  I want to go places where there are few or, no tracks.  I want to see and do things never seen and done before.  I want to be the explorer, the path finder, the first to break the trail.  Hand me the machete and let me cut through the jungle on our way to some new place.

The trouble is, there has always been someone there before us.  Unless you were born at the dawn of the human race it is unlikely you will find anywhere on this planet that hasn't been fully investigated -- maybe not within human memory, but you can bet there will be evidence of humans if you look closely enough.  I envy the astronauts who will be the first to set foot on faraway planets at some distant time in the future.

I guess I've always had a tendency to go my own way.  Sometimes I get strange looks from others because of that proclivity, but that's okay with me.  If you tell me "they went that way," I'm likely to strike out in the opposite direction.  I like to make my own paths.  I suppose I'm just a contrarian by nature.

Yoda, Priorities and Pathways

I realize that it is Fall and the weather is changing quickly, but this springtime image is one of my favorites.  It carries a lot of meaning for us because this is a picture of the site where we thought of building a house.  We no longer own these cows or, the land.  Things change and we decided our best option was to sell them.

It is interesting how things change through the years.  Many of the hopes and dreams of our youth fade into the reality of our present.  We move forward in the belief that the path we are on is the correct one that will lead us to our dreams.  I believe that if we are in tune with God's Will for our life, that is true, but I also believe that if we are within His Will, he sometimes changes our dreams to match the path He has put us on.

Letting go of one dream and grasping another sometimes takes time and the transition isn't always a smooth one.  I know many people at this stage in life who have "settled for" their current situation.  I hope I never "settle for" but, keep on reaching, striving, doing, working to make a positive difference.  What we do with our lives really does matter even though we often think it doesn't.  The impact of a word or, deed on the life of someone else can reverberate down through generations to make either a positive or, negative impact in the lives of many.  We need to be certain that each and every one is positive or helpful.

The most important things in life have nothing to do with what we accumulate or, the trips we take; they are the things that impact eternity.  Everything in this life should be focused on our relationship with God, not on the things of "self."  By "the things of self" I am referring to those rewards we think we deserve -- trips to foreign lands, big houses, fancy cars, a life of ease.  All of those things are focused on "self."  Instead, the important things are those focused on others.  The Bible is clear that we should first focus on our relationship to God and second, on our relationship to others. 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself." -- Mark 12:30-31

We aren't yet certain what the next chapter will bring, but I am looking forward to it.  In the words of Yoda, "Difficult to see.  Always in motion is the future."  (from "The Empire Strikes Back")

Ultimately, there is only one thing that is important for determining the next step in life's journey.  I woke this morning with these words ringing in my head:

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.'" -- John 14:6

The Tracks We Leave Behind

Although we sometimes think we're small

And no one knows our name

We leave our tracks upon the earth

That show the way we came.

Life is short, our days are few

But, think of where you go

For there are those who walk behind

That you may never know

Who seek to follow in your steps

Wherever they may trod.

So, make your pathway straight and true

Led by the Hand of God.

Headlights

Straight and narrow
The highway stretches before me.
Although I only see as far
As the light which shines before me
I know the way is straight
Because it has not varied
In its path.

Only a few travel this unwavering road.

I am vaguely aware
Of those who travel other ways
That are filled with darkness.
They zip hither and yon,
Racing toward their destination.
They seek but never find.
They seek in vain.

Storms assail my path but the light goes on before.

Along the way I meet others
Who seek escape from the darkness.
I show them the light that guides me.
Some see the light
And others do not.
I invite them to travel with me
Following the light.

We travel together as the light guides our way.

Psalm 119:105 - "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."