BLOG: The Path Forward

It's rainy season as so, true to its word, our corner of the country has been providing us with lots of rain. Rain, mud, snakes and the promise of flooding are daily life right now.

A few days ago, I escaped the house mid-morning to go walk around the rice paddy at the far end of the property so I could spend some quiet time alone with God in prayer. The path around the paddy has grown up from the faithful rainfall and so it's necessary to watch each step as I walk to ensure I don't trample a snake hidden just beneath the brush.

On that morning it actually almost made me dizzy and disoriented to be looking straight down toward my shoes and the whole scene was making it hard to commune with God because I felt so distracted. And I said exactly that aloud to Him as I struggled to take my next step while peering beneath the overgrowth.

Suddenly, a very clear thought came to me: Stop looking down. Look at the path just ahead.

Immediately I switched my approach and quickly realized that I actually had a much better view if I looked up ahead just a pinch rather than directly down. My pace quickened and my mind was much better able to focus on the Scriptures I had read that morning so God could speak to me. I felt relief and gratitude.

But as I kept walking and talking and listening, God pointed me back to the lesson He had just taught me. Because so often I get hung up on the challenges upon me. I see what I can see in the moment I am in and I frequently I let it almost paralyze me.

God reminded me of a situation I was currently facing which was causing me concern. The thought came to my mind to look back over the path of weeds I'd just tread and how He'd helped me walk through it much more efficiently than I'd been doing on my own. I could literally feel my courage growing.

As I looked down and then ahead, I could see how important it was for me to walk in pace with God rather than to rush past Him. Looking too far ahead provided me no view of the dangers around me. Focusing on the ground at my feet got me bogged down in the details. But keeping my eyes fixed just ahead made it possible to walk quickly but safely.

In times like that, where I can almost audibly hear God speaking to me, my mind goes to Moses removing his shoes because he was on Holy ground. I continued walking with the very keen sense that I was in God's presence.

But then the rain started before I'd made much progress praying for those on my list. Disappointed, I entertained the thought of walking in the rain and praying anyway, but I know I tend to get a rash when I wear wet clothes. I continued to pray as I started walking toward the gate that exits the rice paddy when I saw a boy on a bike with an umbrella coming toward me.

As he got closer, I saw that it was Quinn and he yelled out, "We saw the rain and decided we needed to get an umbrella out to you so you could keep walking and praying!" He proceeded to hand me a large umbrella, threw me the sweetest, most knowing grin, and as he rode away he yelled, "I love you!"

I put that umbrella over my head and experienced such a rush of emotion over the young boys who have largely grown up in the foreign mission field and come to recognize the intense power of prayer. They know Satan is relentless and they've watched God intervene more times than they could possibly count.

I have no idea what trial or tragedy is being interrupted each day as God sends an army to protect us. I haven't a clue what right decisions are being made instead of wrong ones as He sends His Spirit to guide us.

I do know, however, that one day I will be entirely overwhelmed by what was accomplished during those tromps through the mud as I've sought His company and solicited His help.

May God keep us each faithful because the enemy does all he can to make the effort seem pointless.