In the wooded area of our property on Smith Kramer, we recently created a prayer trail, with signs posted reminding us of truth in scripture, and of the path that Jesus walked on earth, his life, death, and resurrection. These paths have opened access to new places, beautiful places in natural settings, with birds singing, deer, turkeys, rabbits, squirrels rustling about. I am reminded that new destinations are only possible if we forge new pathways. This involves some hard work, cutting some branches, removing debris, clearing and maintaining a trail that can be walked for years to come.
David wrote these words in Psalm 25:4-5 “ Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior.”
The other word I am pondering is PARADIGM. This word represents our lens, the way we see life, the biggest influence in how we interpret our surroundings and the events of our time. In our class, we talked about how different our life paradigms are from our parents. While truth is constant, and some things have and should remain constant from generation to generation, there is also much that has changed, and will continue to change. I am aware that I cannot force my paradigm on the next generation, or on the people around me who see things differently from me. God keeps reminding me that listening to others, understanding their perspective and understanding their suffering is an important skill for me to constantly develop.
Both of these words, PATHWAY and PARADIGM represent the possibility for new growth, new awareness, and a more peaceful and accepting way of being with our fellow humans in a broken world. I invite you to join me in praying those words with David today.. “ SHOW ME YOUR WAYS, TEACH ME YOUR PATHS”
God bless you all with his grace as you walk through this week! You are loved!