I once had a dream that I was lost in a heavily wooded forest. The sun couldn't break through the dense canopy above my head. No moss grew on the trees to give me any bearing. The trees seemed to grow in all directions with no end in sight. I was utterly lost. In this dream I wandered around, almost aimlessly, searching for anything that could help me get back on the path. I wish I could tell you that this dream had a happy ending and that I reached some sort of epiphany before I woke up, but alas I wasn't able to, but that leads me to my point. In this dream I was unable to see the forest for the trees.
Unfortunately, I think we all go through this in life. No, we aren't always actually lost in a forest, but we get so bogged down in the details of life, that we don't realize we've wandered off the trail and now find ourselves in a very precarious situation. When I was in Colorado I went on a hike that required me to be on the trail by 4:30am. This particular morning was not a morning most people would want to get out of bed. The temperatures hovered between 34 and 35 degrees and there was a nice dense fog to go with the light rain. Perfect hiking conditions, right? Ha! But still, I got out of my car at the Longs Peak trailhead, fastened my headlamp on my head, bundled up, and pushed forward. The trail starts off in a nice, dense forest. Couple that with the fog and it makes for a very difficult time seeing what's in front of you. I would venture to say that I could hardly see five feet in front of me. During this hike, however, I refused to get frustrated. I constantly looked at my map, and stayed on the trail. And wouldn't you know it, as the sun was rising in the Eastern sky, I emerged the forest and the fog to clarity. I was not only above the treeline, but I was above the fog. Talk about gaining some perspective. And that's what we need to do when going through the "forests" of life. Don't lose faith, don't lose patience, don't give up. Stay on the trail and constantly look to your "map" for guidance.
There is spiritual relevance to this story as well. You see, when walking on the path of life, we must trust God enough to stay on His path. Its when we get distracted, lose focus, or maybe we think we can take a shortcut, that we get lost. Trust God and stay on His path...even if you can't see more than four feet in front of you. The next point is look to the Bible, trust in God's word. He gave us a "map" for how we are to live. Stop along the trail and take out your "map." Read it, study it, and know it. Finally, pray. Pray for God's guidance on your trail. Trust in Christ to walk along side of you. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Christ is the Word and He will light your way! Don't lose hope and don't let the stress of life cause you to wander of course. Without a doubt, He will lead you back onto the path, but not before alot of frustration on your part. Stay grounded in Him!
I write this blog, however, with a heavy heart. As for not seeing the forest for the trees...I can say that I am there at this very moment. As Paul declined to go into details about the "thorn" in his side I won't go into details except to say that I am in that forest. Right now I can't see where I am going. I know where my destination is and what the goal is, but right now...I am just trying to get back on that trail. Please pray for me to trust in Him who is infinitely powerful and can guide me through this time. I know God's will and I know His word. His word never fails and anything outside of His word...well, its sin. Please pray for softened hearts, eyes to see, and ears to hear. God bless and much love to yall!
Unfortunately, I think we all go through this in life. No, we aren't always actually lost in a forest, but we get so bogged down in the details of life, that we don't realize we've wandered off the trail and now find ourselves in a very precarious situation. When I was in Colorado I went on a hike that required me to be on the trail by 4:30am. This particular morning was not a morning most people would want to get out of bed. The temperatures hovered between 34 and 35 degrees and there was a nice dense fog to go with the light rain. Perfect hiking conditions, right? Ha! But still, I got out of my car at the Longs Peak trailhead, fastened my headlamp on my head, bundled up, and pushed forward. The trail starts off in a nice, dense forest. Couple that with the fog and it makes for a very difficult time seeing what's in front of you. I would venture to say that I could hardly see five feet in front of me. During this hike, however, I refused to get frustrated. I constantly looked at my map, and stayed on the trail. And wouldn't you know it, as the sun was rising in the Eastern sky, I emerged the forest and the fog to clarity. I was not only above the treeline, but I was above the fog. Talk about gaining some perspective. And that's what we need to do when going through the "forests" of life. Don't lose faith, don't lose patience, don't give up. Stay on the trail and constantly look to your "map" for guidance.
There is spiritual relevance to this story as well. You see, when walking on the path of life, we must trust God enough to stay on His path. Its when we get distracted, lose focus, or maybe we think we can take a shortcut, that we get lost. Trust God and stay on His path...even if you can't see more than four feet in front of you. The next point is look to the Bible, trust in God's word. He gave us a "map" for how we are to live. Stop along the trail and take out your "map." Read it, study it, and know it. Finally, pray. Pray for God's guidance on your trail. Trust in Christ to walk along side of you. "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Christ is the Word and He will light your way! Don't lose hope and don't let the stress of life cause you to wander of course. Without a doubt, He will lead you back onto the path, but not before alot of frustration on your part. Stay grounded in Him!
I write this blog, however, with a heavy heart. As for not seeing the forest for the trees...I can say that I am there at this very moment. As Paul declined to go into details about the "thorn" in his side I won't go into details except to say that I am in that forest. Right now I can't see where I am going. I know where my destination is and what the goal is, but right now...I am just trying to get back on that trail. Please pray for me to trust in Him who is infinitely powerful and can guide me through this time. I know God's will and I know His word. His word never fails and anything outside of His word...well, its sin. Please pray for softened hearts, eyes to see, and ears to hear. God bless and much love to yall!
Here is what it looks like to get above the "clouds" and break out of that dense forest. Praise the Lord...in spite of what I am going through and in spite of what you are going through...getting out of that forest IS possible!
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