It was early October and my husband and I were back backing in Indian Heaven a gorgeous place east of our town. There are trails that lead to beautiful lakes of all sizes and shapes. It truly is heavenly.

We started out on a Friday late afternoon, planning to reach our camping destination before dark. Bill had his green trails map at hand and checked it frequently as we tramped through the wilderness. There was a problem, though. We’d taken the wrong trail. In Indian Heaven, there are many trails and it is easy to take the wrong turn. We stopped. He re-checked his map and said, “We need to turn back. We took the wrong turn.”

I sighed. It isn’t the same as in a car where you look for a safe place to make a U-turn. You have a thirty pound pack on your back and it takes precious time and energy. At last, we found the right trail and found the perfect spot, right next to a lake. There were so many lakes, they don’t have names. Even though we’d gotten off on the wrong trail, we soon were on the right one. I trusted my husband to find our destination. We set up our tent, had a quick meal, and snuggled into our  sleeping bags. It was getting dark and although the day had been sunny, it was cooling down fast.  It was a glorious weekend, but we decided maybe October was a little late for backpacking.

Sometimes we get off track in our lives, too. We get distracted by little things that keep us from finding the right destination.

I’ve found the best way to start my day is not checking social media, reading the newspaper–if you still get one– or checking emails, even though I am tempted. No, it’s opening my Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to me as I read. Then I pray, asking God to be with me in the day. And he is!

Currently, with my now husband, Jim, we strive to start our day together, reading a Bible passage and then  praying together. We take the path of wisdom through God’s word. Some days we pray for our grandchildren. Other days, our kids, another day, our siblings. We pray for a ministry, our home group, our pastor, our church. We never run out of things to pray about.

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
and a light for my path (Psalms 119:105 NLT).

Nearly ten years ago, we met a lovely woman in our tour group on a trip to Israel, Bonnie Knopf. This is one of her albums. Enjoy the song, “Coming Home.” I hope you enjoy it as much as I do…

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