roads less traveled

2009 is firmly underway, and with it possibilities and opportunities for new growth and direction in our lives. Many of us made resolutions, goals, or plans for this new year, and some of those aspirations may already be in jeopardy! Such is the way of many hopes and dreams. If that's you (or even if it isn't), hang in and hang on. Your desires for the year depend upon you following through with what you believe to be a better way. And even if '09 plans are still going well, you'll hit a sticking point somewhere, a time when you just don't feel like continuing. When that happens, step back, re-evaluate and commit again to whatever captured your attention at the beginning of the year. And if you've fallen off your resolution wagon, get back on! Begin where you are, picking up where you left off. No matter where that might be, chances are you're farther along than you were when you chose to begin your journey.

As important as this is for temporal things we want to accomplish, it's even more so when we consider spiritual goals. So many of us really want to do better, to be better in our walk with God. At times we may be enticed to look to new ideas or fads to try to jump start our faith and move us in the right direction (much like those diet fads that blast us on late-night TV). We're tempted to think that something (or someone) new, catchy, or trendy might help us. It's this kind of thinking that often opens us up to cults, strange teachings, or the latest spiritual guru on Oprah.

I was reading through the Old Testament book of Jeremiah recently and found advice from God that speaks to this. In chapter 6, verse 16, the Lord says,

"Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

The crossroads represent opportunities we have to choose which directions to follow, which way to travel in this world. The temptation for many is to find the newest, the hippest, the loudest path (usually the one that many others currently traverse) and follow suit. But the reminder is to ask for the ancient paths, the good way, because in so finding and walking them we'll find the rest our souls crave.

This year, when you find yourself at a crossroads in your life, step back and ask someone with wisdom about the ancient paths. They're the ones that have been around awhile, are probably a bit more narrow and difficult to make out, perhaps haven't been used as much, and are most likely more difficult to maneuver. However, those paths are the good ones and will lead you to what you truly need in your journey. Your choice here matters, because not every path leads to the same destination. But, as the poem reminds us, taking the road less traveled will make all the difference.

Happy trekking!