The Narrow Path

I ran (before 8 a.m., which is a first) this morning for the first time in I don't remember how long ~ at least a month, if not more.

The route I chose is right behind my apartment, parallel to the 3M campus. Easily accessible and short - the whole route is no more than a 3 mile loop. Certainly nothing in comparison to what I have run in the past.

But, I have to start somewhere.

The physical characteristics of the path itself are quite different from what I had been running back in Houston.

Half of the path is a smooth, deserted road, bordered on both sides by brush and wilderness, that leads to one of the local fire stations. It is comforting to know that there are fire trucks within a stone's throw of my apartment. Too bad that fact doesn't make the difference in the apartment management allowing grills in third floor apartments.

The going is easy, albeit on a not so slight grade (it is Austin after all), deserted, and straight.

However, the other half is a narrow, gravel road that runs along the main road that leads to my apartment. And, being a clutz, it is not the type of running I enjoy. I have to pay more attention to my feet instead of my destination.

The flipside of that is it offered up a beautiful metaphor for life. I am best when I am thinking about life metaphorically; reality is sometimes too confusing. Remember Cliff notes? I view metaphors as the Cliff notes for life.

I liked running the smooth, deserted road.

I did not like so much running the gravel path. It was narrow, and didn't allow for much wiggle room or correction. Veer too much to one side, and I end up in the road, in front of car driven by a driver who is distracted by her text and her coffee, maybe even her mascara in the rear view mirror. Veer too much to the other side and I end up in a ditch or a barb wire fence.

Then there is the surface. Rocky, treacherous. At any point, if I place my foot at the wrong angle, I'm going down, into the road, or into the fence.

I can't focus on my destination. Instead, my focus is drawn to my feet. Watching my path to make sure my step doesn't land me on my ass. No one around to pick me up and dust me off, much less scrape me from the surface of the pavement. Every minute I spend watching my feet, is one more minute that my path can get diverted. I can lose my way.

Hence, the metaphor. Everyone I talk to seems to be experiencing this same phenomena: "too many distractions", "it seems like life is getting more complicated", "I can't keep up".

We are all on the gravel path. Without our even knowing, or perceiving, the smooth path we were once on is getting narrower, and rockier. We are not sure where to step next, for fear we will stumble, fall, get run over.

The reflex is to slow down. This is good, and I think a critical element to allowing God into our lives. But the part about looking at our feet to avoid the wrong step is not.

The challenge is to keep your eyes on your destination. Keep your eyes clearly focused ahead.

And have faith in God that He will place your feet in the right places.

Don't get me wrong. Falling, even crashing and burning, it not a bad thing. It is my true belief that it is part of the learning process.

It is the faith that has to drive that process. Not the person.

I made it off the gravel path and onto the sidewalk leading to my apartment. I literally breathed a sigh and for a moment I was content and satisfied.

Sunset in Austin

In a sunset, there can be color, drama and intensity, serenity, hope. Yes, it signifies the end of a day and metaphorically can represent the end to almost anything. With it, after the sunset, comes the hope of a new day and a new beginning. In this sense, a sunset is anticipated and not feared.

A beautiful sunset is sought by many, from an endless array of locations and venues. Many will stop everything they are doing to experience a beautiful sunset.

A sunset can be divided into three parts: the events that lead up to it, the sunset itself, and the dawn that follows it.

The events that lead up to the sunset are, by definition, the spinning of Earth on its axis and the specific combination of gases and particles in the atmosphere. These create the sunset and its color and intensity ~ or at least that is what I remember from physical science, with the understanding that science is NOT my forte. Applied to everyday life, those 'gases' and 'particles' as they are represented in our lives as we live them every day can be mellow or intense, represented by an argument with the boss, a missed credit card payment, an injured child. Any of the typical things that each of us experiences regularly.

The events in our lives can also be positive and invigorating, like a walk on the pier with a best friend, or an email from a long lost relative.

These are the particles and the gases....

The sunset itself represents the end. Whether you view it as a grateful ending to a horrific day, a calm refuge that you can escape into, or a culmination of the perfect day....a sunset is the end. The word 'end' does not have to be negative...or absolute.

Because on the other side of the sunset, the end, comes the dawn, and a new beginning. A new day, a new life, a new thought, a new perspective. Key word: NEW. Refreshed, invigorated, revitalized.

Tonight, I am truly experiencing a beautiful sunset in Austin. I have weathered the good and the bad of my day, actually the past years leading to this. Everything from watching my children mature and in fact thrive through a horrific set of circumstances that they had no control over, to stubbed body and bruised egos, to new friends and fresh perspectives. Murphy's Law tried to rule me over and over and over and over.....

Like I said, particles and gases. Some good, some bad. It has been difficult to wade through at times.

But, I sit here on the patio of my new place, on the walkway to a new dawn of a new life. In a few days, I will be able to look back and truly experience the sunset in all its luster.

Better still, I will be able to look to the dawn...and with it more sunsets.