The Madness of Hope

A Pause on The Path of Life

Considering myself a driven person, I strive to press on, taking the apostle Paul as my model. I raced for years and loved to liken my walk in life to a race: keeping my eyes on the finish line and staying focused on the task at hand. That task has been to live a life worthy of my calling as a Christian and to represent Christ to the world.
Yet, at times the level of intensity drops. My curiosity leads me off the well-beaten trail of tourism to study how people really live their lives. I stop on hikes to take photos and am forced to run to catch with my party. Even a recent three and a half hour trip home from Las Vegas turned into twelve as my kids and I stopped at every place that hinted of fun or interest.
My grandfather was an extreme hiker and told me once that for every so many steps up, he stopped to rest. David, in Psalm 23 speaks of being guided by the Shepherd, even walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Yet, he stopped to rest in green pastures. I’m sure he sprawled out on the green grass and noticed the wild flowers and the sound of the gentle trickle of water just before refreshing his dry, parched soul.
That is where I am right now. I have stepped off the path. A part of me feels guilty for not doing ministry, for not blogging, and for not working on my upcoming mission trip to Africa.
Yet, I cannot seem to bring my mind back into focus. I conclude that it is all right for now. Maybe this is just one of those ‘Pauses on the Path’.