An Interesting Path

Travelers, there is no path; paths are made by walking.

Antonio Mechado

This morning I was washing my face...well, I take that back. It was more like I was splashing myself awake. I'm going to be honest here. I'm not a morning girl. Every ounce of me wishes that I was. I wish I was that strong, self-disciplined woman that wakes with the sun, walks/exercises, gets in a good hour of quiet time, sits at the table enjoying coffee while catching up on the recent news.

Oh, how I wish I could proudly declare that I was that kind of woman. I'm not. I never have been. I can burn the midnight oil with the best of them, but, alas, a morning person I am not.

And so I roll my grouchy old body out of bed at the last second, splash water on my face to wake up, try my best to look presentable, and head out the door. I leave the house by 7:30 in order to reach the town of Sugarland by 8:00. Enroute, I either listen to praise music and talk to God, or I have a Beth Moore Bible study via DVD, or a combination of all three. I don't drink coffee (never have!), and I'm usually never hungry when I first wake up, so I grab a big glass of ice water that stays in the car with me all day long and gets replenished from time to time.

My first student is a young married mother of three. She is from Saudi Arabia. She is living here for one year while her husband manages a petroleum project here in Houston for his country. He speaks English. She does not. She has only been in the States since Christmas. In the few weeks that I have taught her, she has learned a lot! Her progress is amazing. I mean, how does someone that normally reads and writes from right to left suddenly change gears? How does our alphabet make any sense to her? Her alphabet doesn't make any sense to me! But there we sit, from 8 - 10, and we have fun together.

Starting Thursday, I add another student. She is from Columbia. She doesn't speak any English. So we'll start from scratch, learning the alphabet, learning our long and short vowels, learning the sounds of our consonants, etc. etc.

I digress! Back to this morning, as I splashed water on my face...I thought about the interesting path God has chosen for me. It's certainly not one that I would have chosen for myself. I have no earthly idea why, but this morning my mind (which LOVES to travel about on its own and is known to wander about quite aimlessly!) thought about Norma Potts and high school study hall. We both had just broken up with our boyfriends and thought our lives were over (at the tender age of 16!!!). I distinctly remember writing her a note during study hall that said "Just think, Norma...ten years from now we will both be married and living happily ever after!"

Well, it was a nice thought. But ten years after I wrote that note, I wasn't married. Either was Norma!

So why am I writing all of this? I guess it's to remind myself that God has a plan - a path - and it might not seem like such a wonderful path while I'm on it, but as I look back, I realize that it's not only a good path, it's a GREAT path!!!

I mean, who ever thought I would still be teaching? Not me! I was ready to hang up the towel long ago! And never, in my wildest dreams, would I think I would share my mornings with a young, pregnant woman from a far-away land. Or that I would spend my Thursdays with a 12 year old from Japan. Or have the joy of listening to countless stories from people that have lived all over the world. Or have the blessing of helping a 48 year old woman return to college to fulfill her dream of teaching. And who could have ever thought up the idea of moving me from Michigan to Mississippi? And now Houston! Not me! I'm the one that made permanent marks on I65 by digging in my heels when I had to move to Mississippi.

Once again, I find myself holding on tightly to the knowledge that God has a plan - and reminding myself that my job is to trust and to obey. Once again I find myself at a crossroads on this path called "life". Once again, I feel the path changing. Once again I'm being asked to venture out into the "unknown". But I'm not fretting. I'm trusting. And I sorta' can't wait to find out where His path will lead to next. I can only say this because of the One who is leading me. He's never failed me yet! And I know that He never will.

How about your path? Ponder today all the delightful twists and turns you have taken, that you would have never in a million years chosen to take. Think of how God has used those detours to mold and shape your character. Yes, indeed! God always has the perfect path - custom-made - for each one of us!

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16:11