Choosing Paths

Just to prove that not every single blog entry in our blog is about our pets, I wanted to share some thoughts I've had lately about choosing our paths as we go about life. Sometimes we don't have much of a choice of what path we choose to walk down, especially when we are very young. You are born into a family, and you walk with them as they meander along, but as you grow up you do get to choose. And in that type of choosing we determine who we are and what we can become, and for many it's so overwhelming that we freeze up and do not choose.

I've never claimed to be very good at choosing paths for myself, especially when there are so many options, but I do know that if we don't make that decision we will be shuffled down a path with the crowd and we may not like the final destination. Often we may have to start all over again to just get back to where we should have gone in the first place. But we have to choose and we have to move forward.

Many times in life we have a road map in hand and all our plans mapped out, we've set our goals and then we just wait for things to fall into place , but often despite our best wishes we have to write and re-write that map, complete with detours arrows in opposite directions. Perhaps you want to start your family but you find that there is sign posted: ROAD CLOSED, other times you may want to receive your education and the bridge is out, or you may be looking for another job and find yourself on a one way street. I suppose that is just life. There are no guarantees, or certainties you just have to keep trudging along hoping and praying that someday you'll be able to get back on course or have the courage to travel the path that has been chosen for you.

There are many paths that I am glad to have chosen, the one that lead me to the gospel, the one that lead me to college, and the one that lead me to my sweet husband. There are definite others that I have taken that only lead to closed roads. Some roads of life may be closed to us temporarily, but the wonderful part is knowing that someday somehow it will be opened to us again when the time is right. "To everything there is a season, and a time and purpose under heaven." The most important thing to remember is that although we may think it's time to undertake a new path, we only can see what's ahead of us. Thank goodness however, our Father in Heaven has an arial view. And so I know, if we trust in Him he will lead us on adventures that perhaps our maps may have never taken us on and in directions that perhaps we wouldn't dare to go without his extra insight.

Yes, choosing paths can be a challege, some might say a struggle, or even a trial but if we choose with His help, He will take us where He knows that we need to go to learn, to teach, to love, and to be stronger and smarter because of it. Thank goodness for His guidance and His divine master map making skills.