A Path Well Traveled
A few weeks ago I posted an article about people I had met. Several of you commented that you wanted to know more, particularly about the young woman who is constantly walking around the block in the area of the church where I work. She has Down's Syndrome and I wondered why she was always out on the street. Yesterday, as I was heading to church, I saw her out walking and took the time to slow down to her pace and talk to her a little.
It turns out that she does 14 laps of the neighbourhood in the morning and another 14 laps in the afternoon because she is trying to lose weight. I discovered where she lived (having observed her in her yard with her parents the day before while I was heading downtown). Her well-worn path through the neighbourhood has made her a fixture that you can set your watch by. She never deviates from her path.
This little episode fit very well into my readings from Jeremiah yesterday. One particular verse jumped out from the page. "This is what the Lord says, 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls'" – Jeremiah 6:16, NIV. There is actually a little more to the verse – a rebuke because God's people didn't walk in His path, but it was the first part that struck me.
It's easy to deviate from the paths of righteouness and justice and conform to the standards of others. It's simple to allow good things to move us from the best things that God has asked of us. It's not hard to wander off the ancient paths to enter the hustle and bustle of a worldlier one and lose the benefits of the rest that God promises.
God tells us to STOP, LOOK and ASK rather than rushing ahead and ending up on the road that leads nowhere good.
My brother recently took a tumble on the street, twisting his ankle, ripping his pants and bloodying his knees and arms. He was looking one way and walking another. He was annoyed at himself for not stopping to look rather than moving while looking. Good point. We need to stop and look where we are going once in a while. We need to ask God to show us the right path, the path of righteousness and justice that we began on, God's path. Then we need to commit ourselves daily to walking on that path consistently and constantly. We will find rest for our world-weary souls and drop some unspiritual weight along the way.
And other people will be able to set their spiritual "watches" by us.
It turns out that she does 14 laps of the neighbourhood in the morning and another 14 laps in the afternoon because she is trying to lose weight. I discovered where she lived (having observed her in her yard with her parents the day before while I was heading downtown). Her well-worn path through the neighbourhood has made her a fixture that you can set your watch by. She never deviates from her path.
This little episode fit very well into my readings from Jeremiah yesterday. One particular verse jumped out from the page. "This is what the Lord says, 'Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls'" – Jeremiah 6:16, NIV. There is actually a little more to the verse – a rebuke because God's people didn't walk in His path, but it was the first part that struck me.
It's easy to deviate from the paths of righteouness and justice and conform to the standards of others. It's simple to allow good things to move us from the best things that God has asked of us. It's not hard to wander off the ancient paths to enter the hustle and bustle of a worldlier one and lose the benefits of the rest that God promises.
God tells us to STOP, LOOK and ASK rather than rushing ahead and ending up on the road that leads nowhere good.
My brother recently took a tumble on the street, twisting his ankle, ripping his pants and bloodying his knees and arms. He was looking one way and walking another. He was annoyed at himself for not stopping to look rather than moving while looking. Good point. We need to stop and look where we are going once in a while. We need to ask God to show us the right path, the path of righteousness and justice that we began on, God's path. Then we need to commit ourselves daily to walking on that path consistently and constantly. We will find rest for our world-weary souls and drop some unspiritual weight along the way.
And other people will be able to set their spiritual "watches" by us.
My precious friend, I am blessed each time I visit your blog. I'm going to print this scripture and place it on my desk as a reminder to stop, look and ask this week. I am feeling at a crossroads and it is time to slow down and seek an answer. Blessings, Rita
ReplyDeleteYes - gotta keep our eyes where they need to be, and stay on the path God wants us on. Great reminder.
ReplyDeleteThank you for solving the mystery about the walker woman. Great lesson for us today, Lynda. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete