May 8

I went for a walk alone after dinner tonight, partly because I hadn't yet met my lofty daily step goal and partly because I wanted to think and pray without distraction. As I strolled along, I came to a particular section of sidewalk that I've traversed many times over the 15 years we've lived in the neighborhood and had a new thought.

See, this stretch of concrete differs from the surrounding sections in two notable ways: one, the surface is uneven thanks to the dedicated underground work of a series of tree roots, and two, due to said trees and the curvature of the path, one can't see what's around the corner.

And the sight got my mind a'churning. Illness and treatment, divorce and relational discord, job challenges, financial difficulties. We all struggle with assorted painful circumstances and obstacles that cloud our vision; sometimes the road that's literally just beyond the tips of our noses is impossible to see. I know that I've walked such difficult roads more than once, and there are people I hold very close to my heart who are walking them right now.

But there's good news: as I rounded the corner, I was reminded that even when we can't see where we're going, the path is still there. And although the pavement isn't smooth, it's not impassable. And better yet, even when we feel alone, we're not. Particularly when I'm wishing I could make a hard situation better for someone I love, I'm thankful for those grains of truth.