“I Am the Path”

Stanley Jones once wrote about a missionary who got lost in an African jungle with nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He happened to stumble across a local man living way out alone.  He asked the man if he could help him find his way out, and the man agreed. So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour. The missionary grew worried, “Are you quite sure this is the way? Where is the path?” The man replied, “Bwana, in this place there is no path. I am the path.”

Have you ever experienced anything like that in life – times when you have felt lost or confused – times when there seemed to be no path, no directions, no compass?

What should I do next? Where can I find deeper meaning in all this? Should I take the job? Reconcile the relationship? Move my aging parent in with us?

In this place you may have to blaze a path, but you don’t have to blaze it alone. I pray today for you for courage to ask for help when you need it. May you find a friend, a pastor, a loved one who will simply listen. No one needs to go it alone. Life is richer and way clearer when you walk with others on the journey.

Let us pray: Loving God, We remember that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life…” We remember that the way he lived is for us a path, a way of living that is in tune with you. Sometimes though we find ourselves confused or even lost as we attempt to walk this path. So we ask you today to keep us open to your guidance. May we hear your voice in moments of quiet and even through conversation with friends. Thank you for your unconditional love and presence; through Jesus Christ. Amen.