#3050 - The Path of Life

This photo was taken last year on a Single's Group Retreat in Kandersteg Switzerland over Labor Day weekend. It is a picture of Lake Oeschinsensee. But it is a picture of much more than a lake. It is a picture of our lives!

We go through life one day at a time. Each day is different than the last one. It may seem like we are on the same path in life but the view is constantly changing. We see the mountains before us and the valleys behind us. We can see how far we have come in life and how much farther we have to go. The question is what will we have to go through to get there?

We can see the path that lies before us winds and curves and disappears only to reappear again. The fruit that we see tells us that we will have times when everything will be blessed. We will have prosperity and success but along with that comes failure and despair. The path we have to travel will be narrow at times and wide at other times. We see that the world will try to enclose around us and make us deviate from our path. We have to get scratched by the branches and bruised from the rocks we trip and fall on that we did not see.

There are times when we stand on a path and have to view both the valley and the mountains we have to cross and climb in front of us. We wonder if we will ever accomplish the goals or if our dreams will ever be fulfilled. Some of the valleys will be easy to cross. We will have times where we can have peace and rest and recover from our journey and gather our strength before climbing the mountain in front of us. Some of the valleys will be hard and we may drown just trying to make it to the other side and valleys where we can lean on somebody for help and float along as we gather our strength.

The mountain experiences are the most difficult ones. They tests our strengths and reveals our weaknesses. We may fall quite a bit on the journey but we must get up and persevere. The mental anguish that we face is the most difficult. The thoughts of self defeat cannot hinder our progress. We must have faith that we will make it to the top and accomplish our goals and fulfill our dreams that we set out for. The times we spend on the mountain will involve barren times when we will not be able to hold on to something to prevent our fall. The fruitful times are in the past, but we know if we persevere we will experience the good times again.

The one thing that we must consider is whether or not we can weather the storm. Some days we will bask in the warm glow of sunshine. When our minds are clear and we have the energy needed to meet the challenges ahead. But we also see the clouds rolling in bring about not only shade from the heat of our trials but storms that will try to prevent us from succeeding. Near the top we may run into some cooler elements. That's the final stage when we must push ourselves just a little more and ignore the harsh comments from the people around who want to see us fail. The ones who curse us, make fun of us, and tell us that we are not able to do the things we have set out for. Only by perseverance are we able to take hold of the prize that lays before us and stand upon the mountain ard look back at all that we have been through in life. Only then can we say well done!

God is a major source of peace and joy during our lives that helps us to overcome our trials. Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.