Into the Woods: Paths

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  
-Proverbs 3:5-6

We've been busy in the weeks since our woods were cleared of dead trees and unwanted bushes and brambles.  Our latest project has been to spread the mound of wood chips along the paths in our woods....

This has been the whole purpose of our woods clean-up:  to gain access to it by making paths through it.   Where the paths converge in the middle of the woods I've outlined an area in stones gathered from the various piles of stones that have been there since before we moved here--no doubt dug up by some farmer in an earlier century....

  
It's interesting to me that everything I need to make my paths is already here.  The chips are from the dead trees that were put through the grinder and the stones are from the earth (we live on a mountain so there are lots of stones).  I've even found "volunteer" seedlings from plants elsewhere on the property to put in the beds created by the stone-lined paths.  In short, I'm using materials I already have.

Recently I finished writing my childhood story.  It was clear to me that the path I walked along to get to this point in my life was made with materials God had already placed in me.  I could see that many personality traits I had as a child are still a part of who I am now.  I'm expressing them differently, perhaps, now that I'm older, and some have taken a backseat while others have flourished depending on my level of confidence, but otherwise, I am the same personality as I was when I was younger.  I could also see God's hand in my life in directing me along the right path.

In Proverbs 3:5-6 God tells us He will make our paths straight (or even) if we will acknowledge Him.  Our paths through life are seldom "straight"--there are curves and unexpected dips and hills to climb.  But if we put our trust in God and acknowledge His rule in our lives, He can even the paths out for us and make them straight.  I really do believe when we make our paths on our own we make them much more difficult than they need to be.  

I've learned that if you want to make a path straight you have to keep your eye ahead to get your bearing when lining everything up.  In life we often have our heads down and only look a few feet ahead of us when planning out our lives.  And even when we do look ahead, there may be something in the way that we can't see--only God can see it.  How much better to trust our Maker to direct us along life's paths.

Father, I love walking the paths in our woods.  May they be a reminder to me that You are always making my path in life straight and that I need only follow in it.  Thank you for your Word to help guide me.

Link to scripture:  Psalm 119:105

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