right where you are

Psalm 32:8

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.”

For the past 3 years, I have been involved in an amazing summer running camp organized by my college coaches for middle and high school runners. During last week's camp, I took on the role of leading and coaching my group. This meant that on every trail run, I was at the front setting the pace, with my 13 kids following behind me.

A lot of the trails we ran on were in the mountains, super rocky, some rolling hills and always single file.

I kept my eyes down the whole run (well almost, we are getting to that…) and would yell “big rock!” Or “roots!” to my kids behind me ,so they knew what was coming and there was no fall or twisted ankle.

I’m clumsy, but not too clumsy. I had never fallen on a trail run in my life before.

Well, that took a TURN last week. Like I said above, I was focused, my eyes never left the ground in front of me, and I was quick to communicate with my group when a rock or root was in the way. About halfway through the run, we get to where you either turn left on the trail or right, the second I lifted my eyes off the ground in front of me and started looking around for which way to turn…I ATE IT.

Honestly, saying I ate it is an understatement. I didn’t just fall on my knees or trip. It was a full body, slide down the trail… epic fail. disclaimer I am totally ok and no broken bones, and super minimal blood.

I hopped right back up before I could even have time to react. I ran the remainder of that run with a lot of mud on me and a bloody / discomforted hip. But, I had a team I had to lead back to the start of the trail and that was my focus. We retuned safely back… after a few wrong turns (oops). Let's just say that run was not my run...

The more I’ve had time to replay my wipeout (and look back and laugh), the more I was reminded of a life lesson and reminder.

When my eyes were down, simply focusing on the step RIGHT INFRONT OF ME… not the turn that was coming, I was safe with no falls and protecting my group as well.

When I didn’t focus on the step right in front of me, it had consequences… the fall.

Doesn’t this happen in life? We start to look ahead.

We worry about which way on the “trail of our life” we are going to turn next, that we forget and overlook right where we are?

We start feeling like we have control, and get comfortable.

Just as I was taking my eyes off of the ground in front of me and start looking around...

I was reminded that the most crucial step is the one right beneath your feet.

If you can’t cover the steps in your path right before you, how will you get to your final destination or goal?

Sometimes we become too confident in our own ability to lead and find the way, we forget who lays out our steps right in front of us. And that ends up leaving us hurt and lost.

It can be uncomfortable not knowing what is to come in our path. There are a lot of rocks and roots that arise in our lives.

The rocks and roots didn’t disappear when I was looking down at them and focused. I was just cautious and able to identify them (in which they became avoidable because I was paying attention)… other things weren’t taking my attention like it did when I ended up falling. That’s the same in our life.

We start to look around and become distracted and pulled into the world. Maybe at what is cool, socially acceptable, what makes you “worthy”… the list goes on.

When we take our gaze off of Christ, who He is and what He has done for us, and promised us, we stumble. And sometimes those stumbles really hurt.

Psalm 119: 1-8 — David wrote

“You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him. You don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set. You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it. Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set; Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.”

There are a lot of things in this life that want to steal our attention from Christ and the path He has laid out for us.

Stumbles happen, and you are never too far from Christ to hop back up and start following Him.

Whether the Lord leads your to the right or left of your trail, trust He has laid it out before you and only has plans to prosper you like He promises in His word. (Jeremiah 29-11)

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”

There is purpose on the path right where you are. Keep your eyes locked on the one who lays it in front of you, and keep moving <3

LOVE,

AW