The Many Thoughts of Wanda Kidd

Luke 3:2-4 

²The word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness. ³ And he came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance ^[a]for the forgiveness of sins; ⁴ as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:“The voice of one calling ^[b]out in the wilderness,‘Prepare the way of the Lord,Make His paths straight!

When I begin to walk down a path, it stirs an unknown in me. There is a significant difference between seeing a road and deciding to take a path. A well-worn road has had enough travelers to establish its mapping, signage, and maintenance, but there is a mystery about a path. While you are not the first to walk along it, it remains a journey that requires time and patience. Indeed, others have come before and broken open the way, disturbed the fragile groundcover, and left an opening for others to follow, but still it beckons the one willing to take the time to explore.

The path traveler must go at a slower pace.  There are various things on the path that make sure that is true and enhances the journey. There are sandy paths, rocky paths, and combinations thereof.  Even the seasons change the tread of the path.  In fall, the leaves go from groundcover to powder;  in winter, from gravel to ice.  In spring, the path begins as a blank canvas only to have wildflowers and tender grass explode along its edges, as the arid summer produces a billow of dust with each step.  If you walk the same path every day, it constantly changes.

Every day you see something you missed the day before or maybe it was not even there yesterday, a turtle, or evidence of larger animals who shared the path.

When you are on a path, you can veer off to see things that catch your attention. Things you might note from the road but would be hesitant to stop and investigate. However, a path draws you into something that catches your eye and gives you the time and space to capture it in your memory.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, I went with a group on a short hike by the Laurel River. As we were walking back up stream, we saw a raft of ducks placidly swimming with the current.  We had just passed a waterfall and wondered what would happen when they reached the drop-off. We stopped and watched as they all effortlessly took flight and softly landed beyond the waterfall. 

Paths provide the time and space to nod to your fellow hikers, to watch the eddies in the river, and to climb higher for a different view.  The desert was full of paths I took for new perspectives, to see things that are unfamiliar, but something I needed to see. There are roads that will get us there faster, but there are paths that will allow us to see the Hand of God that we too often miss in our rapid paced life.

If there is anything positive about the Pandemic of 2020-21, it is the abrupt stop that has made us rethink so much. In the midst of so much sorrow and disruption, may we look for the paths that provide a new way. Take the time to nod to our fellow travelers. Listen for sounds of hope. See the places where our humanity intersects with previously unseen needs and know that we are not alone on the path. We walk with the Creator and fellow travelers.

Prayer:

God of journey and Hope, Remind us and help us to know with our heart that You have always been with us on this path of life.  Peace and Grace,  Amen.