The Spiritual Path

The walk was void of any auditory chatter. Eleven women walking in the woods was filled with the sounds of leaves cracking, wind blowing and animal calls. The vocal silence allowed time to be fully present in the moment. About halfway through the walk I realized this trail was much like life.

It was filled with it up and down, moments of light and darkness, times when I wanted to look up or look ahead but the terrain was unpredictable, so I became fixated on putting one foot in front of the other, making sure I was on steady ground. Some rocks were slippery but if I treaded carefully, I didn’t have to worry. At one point I realized I needed to trust the path, considered the worst that could happen and just enjoy the beauty surrounding me. After all God had created the path.

Along the path there were places of abundant life while other places were desolate. Trees destroyed by termites. After the trees had fallen, they became a safe place for foxes and other wild creatures. God at work, perhaps we don’t understand why some insects or animals were created, but they all serve a purpose.

Eventually, we emerged out of the darkness of the forest onto a sunlit path. The terrain was thick but smooth. The smoother times found most of the group able to enjoy the walk, taking in all the beauty.

Not before long we hit a rocky road, if we walked fast, we could have injured ourselves, but if we treaded slowing during the rocky times and remember that moment when we were in the darkness and made it smoother ground. Trusting this road would lead to one much smoother, we just had to be patient.