#Moving Forward

Saturday we took the boys on a little hiking excursion.  2.53 miles didn't seem like a big deal, until you were dragging along two little boys with much shorter legs, who didn't necessarily walk in a straight line staying directly on the path.  As much as they jumped downed trees, hid under bridges to scare their mama, followed rabbit trails down to the lake... 2.53 miles turned into a lot more for those little legs.

 

About 3/4 of the way into the hike, the older boy stopped and just laid down on the trail, in the fallen leaves.  He was all done.  No more energy to finish this path.  It took a lot of encouraging from his mama to get him up and moving forward.  We couldn't stay there.  We had to finish the hike, since our truck was parked at the end of it and we were sitting in the middle of the woods.  He finally got himself together, trusting me when I told him we were almost finished, and moved forward.

 

One thing me and the hubs figured out was how much ground we could cover quickly if we put the boys on our shoulders and just started hoofing it.  We moved much faster and covered so much more ground! 

 

 

The problem was, my 4 year old is not light.  And I am not a football player or an acrobat.  I got tired!  So I could only carry him but for so long and then I had to put him down to walk on his own.

 

 

What a great illustration for me in my own life!  God has a very specific path that is made just for me.  My path is not too far for my short legs to go.  If I stay right on the trail He has marked for me, I won't grow too weary to finish.  But like my boys, I too get distracted by rabbit trails, downed trees and anything else that may float down the creek and catch my eye.  A lot of times these distractions come in the form of trying to please others, trying to earn God's approval or dealing with a heavy dose of self-doubt.  The more I veer off the path, the more weary I get.  Until I finally just lie down on the path, in the fallen leaves.  All done.

 

 

  That's when I drop all commitments, push people away, shut my bedroom door and sit in the corner between the wall and my nightstand wondering why I feel so exhausted and empty.  All done. 

 

 

But God.  When I stop and open His Word, and read the promises He has just for me, I am encouraged!  When I make time to sit in His presence and just talk it through with Him, I am refreshed!  When I trust in Him, I can begin moving forward! 

 

 

And unlike me and Ty, when I climb onto His shoulders, He doesn't get tired of carrying me.  We can cover so much more ground, so much faster when I allow Him to carry me.  I am able to move forward with Him without growing weary!

 

 

 

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary.  Isaiah 40:31

 

 

Blog hopping with Proverbs 31 today.