Comforted on the Journey

“Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

I pray that you are well and that in this year of fearless living, you are noticing more and more how God has been with you and will continue to be with you and to guide you along your journey of life, even though you may know nothing about it. That’s one of the great promises of our Lord. God promises to be present in our lives and to guide us along the pathways that lead to life, even though we don’t always notice that we are being led.

I’ve been involved in a lot of youth ministry over the course of my life and we often took time to talk and play games that reminded us that God was with us and guiding us. One of these games involved a trust walk. A trust walk can be many things, but it often involves placing a blindfold over another person’s eyes while a sighted guide gently leads them down some pathway or hallway or even through a maze of obstructions that we would set up along the way.

It’s a little unnerving having a blindfold placed over your eyes and trusting another person to take care of you and guide you in such a way that you don’t get hurt. The one being guided usually starts out walking very slowly, even fearfully, trying to find their way without the help of the guide. Gradually, when the guide is patient and trustworthy, the one being guided starts to listen for the voice or look for the touch of the guide to lead them. Everyone makes it through and then the one being guided becomes the guide.

In addition to building trust and community among youth group members, the trust walk has a close correlation to how God is guiding you and me through life. We don’t always see where we are going and sometimes we are blind to what is coming next. But if we trust the guide, if we trust in God, then God will lead us along the right pathways, even through life’s most difficult moments. The grace and love of God is such that we can trust in His leading if we will listen for His voice and seek His guiding touch. You will be amazed at the places you will go if you will trust in God and allow Him to guide you.

God will lead you and me along the pathways of life when we set aside our fears about where we might be going and allow Him to guide us. So say your prayers. Listen for God’s leading. Pay attention to His grace-filled presence and let’s all get going.

Grace and Peace,
WFA