Sunday, July 8, 2018

July 8, 2018 - The Wooded Path

Often hidden, you’ll find meandering paths through wooded areas or off main country roads.  They twist and turn and bend, sometimes widening a bit, often narrowing considerably.  But you can always find these paths because other people have walked them.  The area is notably trampled down some, and it’s clear that others have been there before you.  Although oddly enough, you often find yourself alone on one of these paths.  Where the other travelers have gone is a mystery.

But it doesn’t matter, because the path is there.  When it gets tough, some people will form a bit of a bridge over difficult areas.  It might not look like much and it might be missing a few boards, but it’s a sturdy bridge and has carried many people back and forth safely.  Sometimes it’s more primitive, such as a large log being set across a swampy area.  Either way, you’re grateful that someone had the foresight to place these bridges and help others on the path.

A thoughtful bridge.
You’ll never see this on newer city streets and town roads.  Those are different kinds of paths.  Those are hard and straight and wide and paved.  Anything that may have been in the way of a path like that has long since been removed because the path is the only thing that matters to the builders.  Their intention is to take you expediently from one area to another as quickly as possible, usually from one shopping area to another so you can more easily hand your money over.  It’s very thoughtful of them.

Thoughtful, indeed.  And how about the secret path in the woods?  Is that a thoughtful path?  I tell you, there is no path made with more thought than that small meandering path in the woods.  Like the human mind that created it, it wanders this way and that and then focuses more and heads in the proper direction.  Large trees and boulders are gone around, not through, and there are areas of beauty that catch the eye and draw the path to them.  You can almost see the path forming in the mind of the original path makers.  You can feel their thoughts as you walk the path, and know you probably would have chosen the same way.

Like a labyrinth, the path through the woods is soothing.  It gets you to where you’re going but in a gentle and thoughtful way.  There’s no rushing, and you can stop along the way at any point.  There are things that warn you of difficulty, such as a crudely constructed bridge, or an area of beauty where the path magically widens on its own.  There are areas where it is only one foot wide and the brush rubs against your sides as you walk through it, but if you stay on the path, you will get to a better area and ultimately to where you are going.

If you are a city dweller, don’t despair because you can still follow the old paths.  Go to your local library and find an old map of the city.  Look at the old streets and compare them to a modern map.  Some might be gone, but you’ll find that many are still there.  Map out a route and walk the path.  Even though it’s paved and is not through a shady woods, it’s still an old path set down by people who selected landmarks and not shopping areas to help you on your way, and because of that it will be a thought-full path.  You’ll notice the land marks:  An old church steeple, a natural stone wall, the top of a hill.  You’ll see that they all line up.  There’s a secret network of paths in every city because they were all built by someone walking and thinking.

I find that my thoughts settle down and become more intentional when I’m on a path through the woods.  There’s no element of rushing or hurrying.  There’s nothing loud or blaring and no flashing lights.  It’s just a thoughtful, winding, twisting path that gets me to where I’m going in more ways than one.  Like those who came before me, if I find a large tree branch in the middle of the path, I’ll move it.  I’ll be helpful and make things easier for whoever comes after me.  And in this way, it becomes my path because I’ve contributed to it, although it always seems to give more than it is given.