Little Wonders

Today...

I got lost.

Every morning for a few months now. I get up around 6 and go for my walk/jog. I come home and make sure the coffe is on, empty the dishwasher, get a start on lunches and make breakfast. I wake Bronwyn up and set the table. Today however didn't go as everyother morning has gone.

I decided to take a new path this morning on my hike. I have been down this path before but not as far. It was beautiful. As it is when you are starting out anything in life. Things were good, the birds were singing the fog on the pond was breathtaking. I had my ipod going. Ahhh God is good!

Now, I'm sure when anyone gets lost, there are a few times it could have been prevented from happening. I could have turned around. I could have paid better attention to where I was going and how I had gotten there. I could have taken my cell phone ( Which I had thought to do before I left but was in too much of a rush to get out the door to stop and look for it.).

I have never been lost before. I am borderline obsessive compulsive when it comes to being in control and knowing my surroundings and what is happening. So to be lost and I mean completely lost is incredibly frightening.

I was heading down my path and I knew I was getting late. So I jogged and pushed ahead thinking the trail would go in a big loop around the pond. When I came to a three way split in the path I was out of breath and worried that I was going to be late getting home. I became slightly confused on which direction I had been going in and took a wrong turn.

I knew very soon after I took that turn that I had made a wrong turn. Isn't that the way it is when we make a wrong turn in life too. I began to be afraid. I didn't know where I was or how to get back to where I started. I was hurrying and hurting. I hadn't grabbed a water or any food before I headed out. I was feeling a little dizzy and shaky, and beginging to notice my sore legs! I had by then turned around and was trying to make it back to the path.

How does one get help in the woods? After running into a rather large dog, I realized houses must be around, and they were. Right across the farmers fields! How strange would that look for someone to just wander across a field to knock on a door to ask for a phone. Explaining of course that thay were lost! Yes, no I was going to find my path home!

By the time I finally made it back to the path I was breathless, crying, scared, COLD and praying someone would just find me. I was tired and a long way from home. At one point in my journey I could see both water towers off in the distance ( It was a sad realization of how far I had been going in the wrong direction). I am sure there is another lesson to be had in that one too.

By the time I got home, I had been gone an hour and a half in 0 degree weather. I was so happy to be home and so humiliated that I got lost, and guilty for making my husband late and worried. My family who were less than excited to see me, had no idea.

It made me wonder about our own journey's. How often we get off course and God's reaction when we get back. How easy it is to get distracted and lost. How scary it must be to be alone on the path of life. Without the Holy Spirit to guide you. I think of the dog I ran into and the mud I ran through. Part of the time it was pointless to run, I was going in the wrong direction. But back on the path I had a purpose and a direction and a reason to keep on keeping on.

I am glad to be home safe and warm. I am going to soak my poor aching muscles and soothe my bruised ego, and chalk it up to another lesson learned.