Have you ever gone on a hike or for a walk and ended up wondering which path to take, not really sure where it will lead you? I have always loved hiking and biking. There is something innately in our DNA that  longs to seek the unknown. We are all seeking or searching for something daily.

Back in September 2020 my husband and I travelled to Puerto Rico for a missions trip with our good friends at www.thehappygivers.com He is a builder and in construction so I got to tag along with him for two months. We had such an amazing time on the island. For those of you who know me, I was in heaven! Tropical warm blue waters, palm trees everywhere, and miles of hiking trails.

 Each day I would wake up, have my morning latte and then begin my journey towards Cerro Gordo National Park. There was a trail that literally took you right to the edge of the island along the rocky shore where the waves would come crashing up on the land.  The ocean mist was very refreshing on the hot humid days. I could stand for hours gazing into the distance just watching the waves roll in one after the other and meditate upon the amazing creativity of our Creator -God.

Some days I got to enjoy the morning walks with my AMAZING amiga, Catherine Rodriquez, man is she A LOT of fun!! We would walk the trails together singing, praying and taking in all of God’s beauty. Everyone needs a “Catherine” in their lives. A friend that sticks closer than a brother. Someone who sees white horses forming in the foam of the waves. Someone who runs into the splashing of the waves and isn’t afraid to get soaked by the salt water. She definitely made our walks along the paths playful and exciting.

Catherine lives in Puerto Rico so she knew all the right places to go. She knew when the paths would split off or head into a direction that maybe wasn’t the safest route. Yet some days we couldn’t take the same path due to the crazy storms from the night before, but she would always find another path to take. Her adventurous spirit could always see that there was another option. We just needed to be willing to explore the unfamiliar path in order to reach our destination.
My walks with Catherine reminds me of my journey with Jesus. He is our friend that will stick closer than any other. Deuteronomy 4:29 says that when we seek Adonai our God with all our heart and all our soul we will find Him. Could it be that Christ wrote into the very fabric of our being this longing to seek?  Each and every human being is seeking after something or someone to fill the space in their hearts that is reserved for God.

On October 3, 2020 I got up just like every other morning and started out for my daily walk at Cerro Gordo it was about 9:30 in the morning. Determined to discover more I chose a different path that day. One which I had not yet explored. This path went deep into the park. There was so many different routes and options to take. I wanted to see it all!  At one point I remember coming to a trail that was clearly marked with three different signs pointing which direction to go. Just like those signs,  the Bible tells us that God’s Word will be a lamp and a light to lead us along our daily paths.

At this point in my walk I could hear the sounds of the ocean so I continued to venture on deeper into the park in search for the path that lead to sea. Eventually I found what I was searching for, but by now I was out of water and it was getting very hot and humid.  I knew I needed to head back to the condo and call it a day. As I neared the end of the trail I saw a shortcut back to the main road and decided to take it. Oh boy how I wished I would have just stayed on the right path. That one decision landed me in the emergency room. I slipped, fell, slid down the hill face first, and then rolled several times. I was facedown in the hot sun on the grass. I was able to call my husband so he could come get me. By the time he arrived everything was a white blur. I couldn’t see anything, I could only hear his voice. The pain in my body was excruciating. The worst pain I have ever experienced and never want to experience again.

You see had I just followed the signs and stayed on the designated path I never would have ended up in the ER. As a matter of fact I wasn’t able to go on anymore walks for the rest of our stay. One miscalculated decision. Matthew 7:13 says “There are two paths before you; you may take only one path. One doorway is narrow. And one door is wide. Go through the narrow door. For the wide door leads to a wide path, and the wide path is broad; the wide, broad path is easy, and the wide, broad , easy path has many, may people on it; but the wide, broad, easy, crowded path leads to death.” (Voice)
There is a path for the righteous that the Lord will guard and watch over. I am so thankful that the Lord kept me from death that day. I am thankful that the memory of October 3, 2020 isn’t one of trauma, but rather a memorial stone upon the altar of my heart. A gentle reminder that like Enoch whose walk was pleasing to God or Abraham whose walk was blameless, we too can follow the path that the Lord has set before us. The Divine path that leads to Zoe —the fullness of life; eternal abundant life.