Walking Wisely
When I was engaged to Patrick, I stumbled upon his journal and I’m chagrined to say, I read a few pages. The joke was on me, because I found an early list of my strengths and weaknesses, and one of faults was getting lost easily :)
When my dad gave the toast at our wedding, he wrote a list of things Patrick needed to know to help care for me, and one of them was that I get lost easily.
So, on our camping trip last weekend, I shouldn’t have been surprised when I got lost heading back alone to our campsite from the lake where the rest of my family was still swimming.
I had imagined listening to music by myself while I started our dinner after soaking in the peace of the trail I followed confidently home. Instead, I realized quickly I had missed a turn and couldn’t find anything that looked familiar.
I figured I’d eventually find another way back and quickened my pace when I heard the sound of lots of voices, assuming I was close to the campground.
I stumbled triumphantly into a clearing and saw…
A birthday party. Full of strangers. At a shelter nowhere near where I needed to go.
I gathered my wits and started heading in the direction I now knew the camp should be. And came upon a dead end. And then another. So, I chose to do what my Girl Scout upbringing told me never to do—leave the trail and try to get back to a familiar path. With no cell service. Or food or water. On my honor, it was daytime, so I was confident enough I’d survive with a good story to tell.
So, I kept walking in a straight line toward the direction I had last seen a major path. I met a few spiderwebs and tripped on a few brambles but, eventually—and much less triumphantly—I made it back to the trail and eventually, our tent.
As I started the fire, I felt a mix of shame, amusement, and a stirring of familiar thoughts about other times in my life I’ve felt lost on a way. Since then, I keep coming back to how my brief experience in the woods mirrors many of our spiritual journeys:
Paying attention to landmarks would have made the difference— Just as I started back to camp, I remember thinking there was yellow parking gate near the right trail, but shrugged off not seeing it because I assumed the paths would reconverge. Turns out, they never did. Had I memorized what a good path was supposed to look and feel like, I would have been safer and more secure.
James 3:17 says, “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” Jesus talks about good fruit, too, when he told his disciples they’d recognize true teachers by the results of their lives and instruction (Matthew 7: 16).
Spending time listening to God’s voice and studying Scripture and the life of Jesus, holding up what’s offered to us against these standards for wisdom and authenticity; these practices will help us know if we’re on or off track.
Just because there’s a party doesn’t mean it’s the right way to go— I stopped paying attention because I heard a commotion and celebration instead of trusting the direction I suspected I was supposed to head. I love the Message version of Matthew 7:
13-14 “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.
15-20 “Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.
21-23 “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills.”
Following a leader is fine but I still needed to notice and navigate—later sharing with my daughter about my adventure, I remarked how important it was to take stock of our surroundings, even if someone else knows the way. I had allowed myself to be lead to the lake, not thinking I’d be separated or if the other person knew the way back, either.
Again, I love the Message version:
1 John 4: “My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world.
2-3 Here’s how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ—the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh-and-blood person—comes from God and belongs to God…
It’s better with companions when you’re in an unfamiliar place
There was still plenty of light, I wasn’t starving, there weren’t any dangerous animals nearby, and I could still hear people if I needed to double back on the trail. Noting these conditions allowed me to explore and go off the beaten path. In our spiritual lives, there are times when we can research, question, dig deep, explore new ways of thinking about God and following Jesus. There are other times when we are facing a new diagnosis, a scary new reality, a situation we’d never known we’d encounter, or a circumstance that shakes what we know about God and ourselves. In those times, it’s best to have trusted and wise friends and family nearby. These loved ones can either help us back toward safety or provide companionship and safety in new frontiers.
When we feel lost, it often helps to head back toward the last place we saw signs of life and direction— To find the area I suspected had my solution, I kept on walking in a straight diagonal line to where I remembered being with my family earlier that day. In our spiritual lives, there can be times that are so disorienting and painful (or mundane and unsatisfying) that we want to sit down and just quit. However, I’ve found reaching for those predictable patterns, spiritual parents, and meaningful purpose— the liturgies, the Psalms, the spiritual practices, the people and places where we felt near to God and to others, situations where our gifts meet a need or help suffer with another— are a way to begin again.
1 John 4 continues:
“No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!
13-16 This is how we know we’re living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He’s given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we’ve seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we’ve embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.
17-18 God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us…”
Finally, navigating challenging times of walking through difficulties or doubts can increase trust in our ability to do the same in the future:
The next day, I had to go find a gas station for some bread, fishing bait and ice. I had no GPS signal, no cell service, and a paper map with a few suggestions but didn’t know any distances. I took a deep breath and thought about how I’ve lived through many times of disorientation and can return to my center of who I am and who God is. I can trust I’d be taken care of even if I got lost. And you know what? I made it to a tiny shop about twenty minutes away (I did get lost a bit on the way back but sorted it). Learning to trust my instincts and landmarks made it possible for me to try again. May you feel the same sense of safety as you walk through whatever may come your way this week or season.
