Today my running work out took me to a park I like to train at. Happy Rock park in Gladstone has an asphalt trail that is 1 mile around. Nancy and I usually go there together on Mondays, my day off. She walks, I run. Today she was out of town.
When I finished I decided to check out the woods around the park. There are a lot of trails that lead into the woods. I chose one and started to walk. Eventually I ran out of trail, so I started to follow a game trail. I saw deer, birds, turkey, squirrels, and snakes... big snakes. Don't tell Nancy.
I don't spend as much time in the woods as I used to, but there was a time when I did a lot, and I learned a lot about living in the wilderness that is important to know. As I walked today, I prayed, giving God thanks for how wonderful nature is. It occurred to me that the God of the natural realm and the God of the remainder of the world are one and the same. The principals from nature hold true for the rest of life. So I thought I would share what I've learned from God's natural principals that hold true for all of life.
As I was walking along I ran out of man made trails. All around me, though were game trails. The deer and other game, rabbits, coons, possum, etc. all use the trails, and I knew that most of them would lead to the creek that ran along the park... thus getting me back to a familiar land mark. As I was walking I was looking ahead to try to spy my goal, the creek, or the signs that I was close. I knew, though, that if I focused only on the goal in the distance and forgot to look down, I might find myself in trouble. So, principal #1 Don't focus so intently on the goal that you miss the peril at your feet.
As I walked along I noted the familiar rustling of leaves and dry grass that indicated some form of wildlife. The noise was constant though, not the hopping of a bird or squirrel. It was the slither of a snake. A garter snake to be exact. A large one as well.
Recent teaching on the subject of leadership advises us to never let our eyes off the goal/mission/purpose. While I agree with the premise, we should also never forget that there are things going on around us that would prevent us from reaching our goals. There are often small irritations right at our feet that may prevent us from reaching our goals. Garter snakes won't hurt you, but copperheads will. As will small mammals, hidden snares, unobserved holes, etc.
As you focus on the prize that God has for you, don't miss the barriers that will prevent your success.
2 comments:
Way to go Pastor Dave! I cannot tell you how happy I am that you are on this journey toward health and wellness.
I was recently teaching my son, Darren to drive and the most important thing I could tell him was always look "down range." That way he doesn't over steer and makes only minor corrections. This is different from walking in the woods because life is coming at you nearly as fast. Maybe the lesson is balance looking down with looking ahead. Maybe the lesson is when life is coming at you unbelieveably fast, the best thing you can do is keep your eyes on your goal.
More likely, the lesson is that we need to spend more time in God's beauty and start walking through the woods.
So the snake thing has me just a little freaked out this morning, Pastor. But your point is well taken. We need to stop looking so far ahead that we miss the moment we're living in. And, there can be snakes slithering all around us and if we don't take time to look, we cannot see the danger that is before us.
The other thought that came to mind is how some of us choose to stay on the human path, while others are willing to risk the adventure of leaving the path behind and forging your own. I think this is the mark of a true leader. Today, I'm especially grateful for my Pastors and Teachers who lead by example.
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