Pathways

"Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths."

(Psalm 25:4)

Last month I visited the Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve. It was early in the season, but the flowers were still amazing... and the crowds, of course, were present. I like the preserve because the abiding rule is: STAY ON THE PATHS! (Which made for excellent photos, because people weren't out lying the fields taking selfies, and getting in the way of my landscape photos! lol)

I grew up in a family with a National Park Service ranger (my dad!). And the prevailing sentiment in many of the National Parks is the same: STAY ON THE PATHS! The reason is simple - it preserves the beauty and health of the parks for all to enjoy.

We humans struggle with that command. "Why," we wonder? "What are you trying to keep us from? Why can't we go exploring on our own?" Of course, in some parks 'exploring on your own' is absolutely allowed. But in many with fragile ecosystems (or dangerous areas the public may not know about), staying not he path ensures both safety and that the natural resources will still be around for generations to come.

And yet we still want to "forge our own trail"... make our own way... both in the parks AND in life. Why is that? (Arrogance & hubris, maybe?!?)

David, the author of Psalm 25, states rather plainly: "Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths" (v.4). He knows the value of walking along the pathways God has set out - they're much better than the paths we try to set for ourselves (even David learned this painful lesson, in his debacle with Bathsheba).

We (I!) need to do all we can to seek out God's pathways in life. I believe God desires good for all of us. Not only that, but wants us to have the FULLNESS OF LIFE! It's not about "taking away our fun" (or even our freedom). We have the freedom to choose any pathway in life. But why seek to go our own way, the God is willing (& waiting) to guide us? God knows the dangerous places we need to avoid. God knows the amazing vistas, mountaintops, and unique surroundings we'd probably miss, if we simply went on our own way.

One of the things I learned from my visits to national parks is this: there are always more paths/trails to walk than we think. And the park rangers are the experts we should be asking about our options! Many parks have a few "high traffic" trails that the majority of the visitors take. And that's perfectly fine. It helps folks see some of the key spots in the parks. But there are many, many more to hike - if we're willing to ask and explore. The same is true with God. Ask and you just may be surprised where He leads you.