The Gospel Path is LESS Rocky

Now that we've decided to stay in Flagstaff, I've taken up mountain biking again. This morning I went out alone on some trails near our home. A few gnats in the eyes/mouth later, I realized if not my eyes, I could at least keep my mouth shut. :)

I started on some shorter trail loops then jumped onto the Walnut Meadow Loop, an almost 4 mile ride. It is beautiful country in Flag but rocky. Near the beginning, I hit some clumps of rocks in the middle of the trail that caused me to swerve a little, so I jumped off the trail momentarily to avoid more rocks and instead hit some bigger ones. I jumped back on the path as fast as I could, realizing my mistake. In my naïveté, I had figured avoiding any rocks was the goal until I saw how uneven and more potentially dangerous the outskirts were.

This got me thinking that sometimes when we live the gospel, we think the path should be straight, narrow, and paved! But that's not the point of the gospel path. It is safer, but there will still be bumps and bruises along the way. The point is that the path will always be safer than the off-road alternative.

As I continued on the loop, I started to worry I wasn't on the right trail anymore.  I had gone for a long time without seeing a tall, brown trail marker, and after constant twists and turns in the path, I didn't even know what direction I was heading anymore. I was tempted to stop and backtrack. 

But I resisted the urge, committing to finishing the trail I had started. I had stayed on the main trail the whole time I assured myself. Eventually, it would bring me back to the beginning I reasoned. After some time passed, I did finally pass a trail marker and finished the loop. Whoo-hoo!

In life, we each receive confirmations--like the trail markers--that we are indeed heading the right direction or on the right path for us.  But sometimes when it's been a while since we've received a witness/answer and the road begins to twist and turn in unfamiliar/unplanned ways, we are tempted to say: "This is not the path I meant to choose" or "This can't be the right way anymore," and we lose faith and want to abandon it.

Just hang in there though and know that if you knew it was right before, it still is right, even if Heavenly Father is presently silent. Eventually, you'll come to the end and be grateful you didn't quit.