Ordinary Time

Pause

Life’s pathways are not always clearly marked. Trails wind into the wilderness and disappear, leaving no end in sight. And often you may wonder which way to go.

As you journey through life, there is One you can trust to be your guide—the One who has already walked the path for you and who walks beside you even now.

In these quiet moments, be still and listen for the One who is calling you home.

Listen

Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

John 14:5–7

Think

I love hiking. I’ve climbed a few “fourteeners” in Colorado, crossed the Continental Divide, and visited pristine mountain lakes above the tree line. But these walks in the woods all start in the same place—at a trailhead with a small sign denoting the trail’s name and the distance to the destination.

Standing at the beginning of the trail, you can only see a tiny fraction of the journey. The trail inevitably disappears into the forest, leaving you to wonder what the other miles will bring. Taking a hike is really an act of faith. You don’t know if you will reach your destination or what you might encounter along the way. So you take a chance and put one foot in front of the other, placing your trust in those who have gone before you.

Jesus invites Thomas and all of us to simply take the first step—to trust in our teacher whom we know, to focus on him, and allow the journey to unfold as we venture further along the path.

Chad Senuta

Pray

Lord, I can’t see the entire trail ahead. I don’t know what obstacles may wait for me. Thank you for the promise that knowing you is both the beginning and the end. Amen.

Go

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
Leaning on the everlasting arms;
Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
Leaning on the everlasting arms.

"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" by Elisha A. Hoffman, 1887