Not All Paths Are Marked | Letters From the Trail

“Not all paths are marked.”

Dear Wanderer,

            My stomach felt sick as I looked down at the map and then ahead at the unmarked terrain in front of me. I felt an overwhelming feeling of self-doubt pour over me like an powerful waterfall, drowning all of my self-confidence.

            The previous week I walked on the trail, I had been very confident in leading my band to the final destination. The path followed a river, and even though the terrain was still unforgiving, it was marked.  I knew to stick to the riverside and then we would reach our final destination.  This time, however, the course was unmarked. There were no cow trails to follow. There was no right way, no wrong way.  The only way was to water sources, and eventually final destination.

            I felt confused, and searched for signs of previous tracks I could follow.  I wandered in and out. Weaving. Searching. Praying. Confused. I tried desperately to understand which way to go and which direction was easier than the others.  My YoungWalker walked in confidence, choosing other pathways.  The others would follow the YoungWalker, and all would end up in front of me, waiting for me to catch up.

            Wasn’t I supposed to be the leader?  Wasn’t I supposed to instinctively choose the better course?  They would wait for me to catch up to them, and I would try again.  At one point we came to a brushy area, surrounded by an array of claustrophobia-inducing shrubs and wildlife. I stopped and looked desperately back at my trainer. Despair overcame my voice and tears flooded my eyes.

            “I don’t know where to go. I don’t know… I just don’t know.”

            She looked at me with a warm and comforting smile and responded saying, “Sam, not all paths are marked.  Sometimes we must push through the brush while wandering through the wilderness in order to reach our final destinations. You must have faith and rely on The Creator, and he will lead you to water.”

            She stood beside me, and we started to walk through the brush together.  With her support and love, we were able to find water that day.

            I started to think about what she had said, and applied it to my own life.  Sometimes the paths in our lives are marked.  It doesn’t mean the terrain is any easier, but that we know which way to go.  I knew I had to go to college.  It was hard, but I knew that was the path I had to take during that point in my life.

             But sometimes the paths in our lives are not marked. Endless obstacles surround us, and we tend to doubt our sense of direction. We wander around confused, and are in desperate need for direction.  I have had many moments in my life were I have stopped, looked around me, and realized that I didn’t know what to do, where to go, or where my next water source would be found. There have been moments where it seems to be easier for others around me to find the way, as if they know how to pick the “easier” paths. And so they end up waiting for me to catch up.

            The topography of our life will be full of uphill climbs, ravines to cross, and canyons to trek through. And not all paths lead to water.  But I promise that the Creator will always be alongside you.  He will take your hand and walk forward beside you.

                                                                                Walk as We,

                                                                      Strength Against the Wind