Walking the Trail You're On

My mom and I took a hike this past weekend. It wasn't the trail we planned to take, but rather a connector to said trail. Mom kept commenting about ways she thought we could get to the other trail, where that trail must go, etc. Eventually, though, she said, "Well, this is the trail we're on." 

And I thought, "What a great metaphor for life."

Many of us right now didn't choose the trail we're on. Whether we're wrestling with COVID restrictions, COVID itself, changed work, no work, homeschooling, online school, making hard decisions, missing family, missing events, or something else, this isn't the life we chose. Even if we did make decisions that got us here, we didn't expect to be here. Or still here. And yet here we are. My tendencies when I'm not where I want to be are to first, complain. Then I might try to see if there is a shortcut to get where I want to be. Next I might try to rush to the next destination. Then I might gripe again. I don't want to enjoy the mile I'm in.*  I just want to get out of here and get to the next place. Life doesn't work like that.

I said to Mom many times that I enjoyed the trail we took. We felt the warmth and cooling of the air as the trail rose and fell. We watched the sun rise. We absorbed 180 views of the mountains. We spent time together. We got in our daily exercise. The hike wasn't the one we chose or even set out to do, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. We enjoyed it because we chose to do so.

How, then, can we apply this to life? How do we enjoy the trail we're on, even if it's one that chose us, rather than us choosing it? We can look for little joys: new experiences, flavors, tastes, touches, smells, sounds. We can choose to capitalize on what this time has, even if there are a lot of have-nots. We can use our eyes to look at the scenery, because even if it's not what we wanted to see, it might give us perspective, and we might not see it again. We can enjoy fellowship with the people God has placed us with now. We can feel our feelings and work through them. We can journal and write and take photos and document this time and this place. We can learn.

Mom and I had a good hike. We found some new trails we want to take. We think we figured out how to get to the trail we wanted to do in the first place. We're looking forward to the next hike. May the same be true of us in the seasons we find ourselves in now. May we look for the good, look for God, faithfully walk the trail we're on. And when we reach our next destination, may we look back and give thanks, walking the next trail with gratitude until we reach our final destination of heaven and roam no more.

*'Run the mile you're in' is a phrase attributed to Ryan Hall. I haven't read the book, but appreciate the perspective.