Sometimes

the Christian life

is a walk in the park.

 

A gentle stroll on a spring day

with a soft cooling breeze ruffling the growing leaves

and stirring the fragrant flowers.

 

Other days,

it’s a mountain climb

over rough terrain.

 

You have to choose each step carefully

as you push, pull, and drag your tired self

closer and closer to that magnificent view from the summit.

 

But some days,

it’s a long, lonely hike

through barren dessert.

 

One more step.

One more step.

One more step.

Hot, weary, exhausted,

you simply take one more step.

 

Then, off your beaten track,

you see a small stream

and you’re faced with a choice:

One more step

or a short stop –

just a toe dipped in a stream.

 

But be wary.

The stream looks calm, but it runs deep

and the stream bed is deceptive.

 

You sit beside the stream just to soak your blistered feet.

The streambed crumbles and you tumble

and find yourself caught in a torrent

whisking you back the way you’ve come.

 

By the time a friend catches you and drags you back out

you could be miles back,

when if only you’d taken that one more step,

you might have seen the oasis ahead.

 

Because

every now and then,

the Christian life

is like an oasis.

 

A beautiful resting place from the arduous journey,

a watering hole to quench your thirst and rest your spirit,

a quiet spot to sit and chat with the Architect who built the path.

A place to soak your blistered feet

before taking the next step.