One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to hike. I’ve been hiking on the North Country Trail, and doing about 50 miles a year on it for the last 3 years. I love the quiet of the woods, and how the canopy of the trees gives relief from the hot sun. There are parts of the trail that go right through cities and parts that are in hot, open meadows. Some of the sections are on super sandy trails.
From these descriptions, I think you can tell that there may be parts that I prefer over other parts. I find a lot of comparisons to the trail and life.
There are parts of life that are TOUGH. There are parts of the trail that are TOUGH! Sometimes if we start off and it’s a section of sandy trail, I struggle. The weather always makes a difference too. If it’s hot and I’m in a tough section I question why I even like hiking. If that section lasts for more than a mile I REALLY start to question my choices. If the bugs are bad, I want to quit. We go through similar things in life. Life can be really hard. If you start piling on more things, it makes the hard a little harder.
On my last hike, the bugs were BAD! I was so annoyed that I hadn’t packed my bug net. That little net does wonders for my attitude! If I’m wearing it, the bugs can buzz all around me and it is no bother. If I’m not wearing it, they fly in my eyes, my nose, and my throat! I stopped for a quick lunch and unpacked my lightweight camp chair that I bring. Imagine my delight when I found my bug net tucked into my chair! The bug net is like the Word of God. Problems will still arise. Troubles will surround me and buzz around me trying to disrupt my journey through life . But the Word of God protects me.
So many times when people have a problem they turn to other people, food, or they abuse substances. I am guilty of going to others first. It is not bad to seek wise counsel from others…but they shouldn’t be your first stop! Let’s try to remember to go to God first! I’m guessing the “bugs” in life won’t bother us as much!