Stay On Trail

Monday morning. I had been looking forward to this day all weekend. It had been a busy weekend with lots going on, a sick kid, a lot of work stuff and not much time to myself. I was craving a few hours in the woods by myself to just zone out and talk to God about stuff.  I was even letting myself sleep in since I wasn't going to be doing my usual morning cardio routine. 

7am my daughter explodes into my room and loudly exclaims that she won't be going to school today. If you have any experience with children who have sensory processing issues you might know that they tend to be very loud. It was wake up time for mom! And this is the moment the meltdown began. Another common thing for sensory kids...meltdowns. With my daughter they can be extremely loud and disrupting to the entire family. It was no way to start a morning. I got upset. I got very upset. I got frustrated. All of us were in tears before 8am. I pretty much felt like the worst mother on the planet and I knew I was going to need that time in the woods with God now more than I did an hour earlier. 

As I started up the trail, I saw a couple of signs, including one that said "Stay On Trail. Going off trail

causes erosion." I'm trekking right along, walk a few feet beyond the signs and stopped in my tracks. Back it up. Had to go back and snap a picture of the sign because it immediately made me think of the path I am walking as a Christian, God's path. 

We know that erosion, means that the earth is being worn away by winds, water and storms, waves, etc. Enough people veering off the trail into the natural forest will cause the forest to be "worn away" over time. It will disrupt and destroy creation. 

In the same way, if I veer off the path God has created for me to walk, it will cause erosion in my life. Erosion can manifest as many things...Depression, addiction (for me, it was an exercise addiction), health problems, fatigue, anxiety and stress, lack of sleep, relationships with the wrong people and potentially losing relationships with the right people. When I go off "God's trail", I risk losing my peace and my joy. 

Like this morning. I woke up and felt like my joy went right out the window. I felt like a whopping failure as a mother. I could have easily let that set the tone for my entire day but I know that's not God's plan. That's me going off the trail and slowly eroding - because once you're in that negative place it's very easy to spiral downward. Every single day, we have things that come up for us that can cause us to go off the trail, risking erosion. But we have a choice...we can CHOOSE to stay on the trail!!! It's a one foot in front of the other, moment by moment, journey. It's deciding from the moment our feet hit the floor in the morning that we are not going to let anything take us off the trail. 

Set your mind and STAY ON THE TRAIL! God will give you everything you need to stay on His path. 

“You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by GOD. You’re blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. That’s right—you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, GOD, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I’d never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways. I’m going to do what you tell me to do; don’t ever walk off and leave me.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭119:1-8‬ ‭MSG‬‬