PATHS – Devotion 123 – SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

This morning on my morning run, I was met by 2 deer. That’s not such a big deal. I see deer often while driving and running. They took a look at me and I guess thought I looked fairly harmless, maybe friendly. They were right. I kept moving forward like I always do. At the last minute, they decided it was best to head back into the woods. One deer went the route I expected. She went back along the path they had come. It was a clear cut path, no obstacles. The other deer, not so much. This deer headed through the woods, and I mean straight through the brush of the woods. When I looked, I saw no path. I did not see a way through. It looked thick and covered. But she saw differently. She saw a path just big enough for her to escape. It was a route she identified that I would have never picked. I was amazed at how she seemed to disappear with just a leap. It was as if she was made for that path and the path was made for her.

I wonder how many times we don’t realize there is a path in front of us. We don’t see another way. We see the easy way and sometimes we take it. We don’t take the time to consider there may be another way. Jesus’ way isn’t easy. He makes it pretty clear that to follow him means thinking beyond the path that is most obvious. The way that looks most enticing may in fact be the way that leads to problems. It just might be what we don’t see at first is actually the path we were made to follow.

Jesus’ way looks like love and peace and joy in a world filled with anything but those things. It means reaching outside of ourselves to be kind and do justice and love mercy. It looks like a path that isn’t always clearly marked, but we are just the right fit because we were made for this. It’s often difficult, unconventional and scary. But if Jesus leads the way, we must follow. What an adventure this path will offer! I will do my best to see and follow the challenging path of Jesus.

Focus Scripture:

Psalm 42:1-2

¹As a deer longs for flowing streams,
    so my soul longs for you, O God.
²My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
    the face of God?