Back on the trail

Jenny Sinatra

Uh-oh. This doesn’t look like the trail, I thought as we climbed awkwardly past heavy green bushes and swatted away branches. Where is the next trail marker?

For this trail, the markers were bright blue lines painted on trees, and I’d been following them for the entire hike. But now I was all mixed up.

I looked behind me at my group. They were talking and laughing, holding on to the straps of their backpacks or swinging water bottles. They had no idea we were lost.

I stopped walking and told the group they could take a break, sit down, and rest by a nearby tree. I knew I needed to step aside and pray, turning to God, our Father-Mother, to show me what to do. I knew that even though I was leading this hike, God was in charge of everyone on the hike, including me. I’d learned in the Christian Science Sunday School that because God is Father-Mother, we can always count on God to take care of us just like our mom or dad would.

So, right there on that big mountain, I prayed to feel that God was caring for every creature, every bird, every hiker. God was supplying everyone with good ideas to help them journey forward. God was meeting each need.

ANNA LITWILLER—STAFF

This verse from the Bible came to me so strongly: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6, New King James Version).

That was my answer. I’d learned that when I didn’t know what to do, the answer was to stop struggling to fix something so I could be ready to hear what God was telling me. And I could trust that God leads.

Within a few minutes, things felt different. With new hope, I had the thought to look in a certain direction. There, just around a corner, I could see it: a bright blue trail marker on a sturdy tree. I was relieved, but not very surprised. God had shown me the way!

The group finished up their break. It was time to get back to the hike and press on to reach the summit of the mountain. We had our trail markers—but more important, we had God leading the way.

Now, whenever I feel lost, I remember this hike and how I trusted God with all my heart. God showed me how to find—and stay on—the trail, and He will help you, too.

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