“Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found.” Psalms 119:35
The scent of pine. Fresh air. A hiking path, winding its way through a boreal forest.
Ahhhh. My happy place.
I feel – recharged. My senses are heightened. My heart pounds in time to my footfalls. I’m among friends here – ancient balsam fir, trembling aspen, lichen and blue jays.
Silence.
It whispers peace to a work-weary soul.
I feel the tension in my shoulders unwind, knots and worries fade. I am alive. I am small – but I am part of something much greater, much older, much wiser.
I breathe.
Perspective, gone AWOL under duress, returns. Her presence is so beautiful, my breath catches.
God is here.
He stirs with the golden leaves which swirl on a golden breeze. He waits in the silence. He breathes – life and hope and peace wash me in the tears that drop unheeded.
I cry because it is just so Him. So me.
Have you felt that? That sense of being utterly you – of being at rest, of finding yourself suddenly in a cathedral and your soul is singing a song written just for you.
That deep feeling of happiness.
No, not just happiness.
Joy.
Ah, friend.
That’s your spiritual yellow brick road – your path to Jesus.
There is no weird wizard at the end of this path. No, he was a fake all along. No riches or fame or popularity or notoriety. Those are found on a path for sure – but not this one.
All you need will be on this road.
You may be missing courage – it will be there, found in the presence of Jesus. Perhaps you need a brain – a way to make sense of your existence and purpose. Wisdom is there, too, tucked into ancient pages. Maybe you need to get home – home, where your truest self can come to life from the ruins of the tornado that blew you off course.
And you know you need a new heart – we all do. Ours has seized up, grown cold with disuse and rusted by sin.
The truth is, you will find you as you walk this way. This is your path – the one designed for you, the one that leads you to understand how you were designed, what you were designed to do, and who you were designed for.
Some, looking at the path from the outside, refuse to walk in it. It may look restrictive. It may appear to take you in a direction you don’t want to follow, or through valleys you don’t want to go through.
No one ever said this journey is for the faint of heart.
It will take everything you’ve got.
But here’s the thing – this path has been walked before. Sandal marks, ancient tracks, went first. Then, the heroes of the faith, those whose dedication and resolve paved the way for us to follow. Saints from every generation added their own trail signs.
And it leads not to yellow bricks, but to streets of pure gold…
Follow the path of Jesus with me?
Father, You created a path for us that leads to our happiness, despite the hardships that may be found in it. You promise to give us courage, wisdom, and to bring us home to be with You. Keep us faithful as we seek You along the way.
Here is a link to a poem on this topic called The Path.
Growing in Grace 