Normally there are seven days between my visits to the woods. In this fall season, that sometimes means I am introduced to a different forest weekly. Today’s visit had just one day between it and the previous, which, combined with the fact that the trees are almost entirely bare, left the trail quite recognizable from the last time I had walked it. Yet, as I approached a fork in the path I began to feel lost and confused. I looked in the direction of where I knew I needed to go, but it didn’t look right. After turning in a circle slowly, I checked the map on the post beside me, verifying that the direction I knew I needed to go in - the one that didn’t look right - was, indeed, the path to take.
There have been many times in these woods (and outside of them) throughout these forty days when God has brought me to a place in my distant history. There have been other times where He has brought me to something that happened more recently. Even still, there have been other times where He has enlightened me about something in my present that I was unaware of before. But this time, on this very last stretch of this Forty-ish journey, He spoke to me about my past, present, and future all at the same time.
Following a second confirmation that the map on the post wasn’t lying to me, I took the unrecognizable path. As I advanced, things from the days of old came to mind, accompanied by amazement that beauty and growth were birthed in and through those trials. A chronological journey through some more recent life events and His work in and through them eventually led me to what I was walking that very day.
The unrecognizable path my feet were on served as a metaphor for the path my life was on. I knew I was in the right place - the place He wanted me to be. Just as He led me back to the trails today and told me which direction to walk them, He had led me to where I was in my life and had given me ample indication of what His desire for me was and what I was supposed to do. Yet what was before my eyes did not match what I knew to be true. Because of His refining of my heart and mind throughout this journey, my contemplation was absent of anxiety; I trusted Him, but I just didn’t have clarity.
I replayed what happened in the literal: I arrived at the designated path, but since it looked unfamiliar, I checked the trail map to be sure I would be going forth where I should be. While this time, I had a trail map of sorts for where God was leading me in life, sometimes He doesn’t reveal that to me. As such, I have to trust Him - and whatever map He does give - even when the path I am led to looks as if it will bring me to a different place than He indicated it would. I have to make the decision to go forth knowing that the destination He is leading me to is His very best for me.
I decided. Today, I decided.