The Greatest Path I Will Ever Hike

In case you didn't know, the title of my blog was a line from Robert Frost's famous poem "The Road Not Taken." He writes on how he comes across a fork in the road with one being the main route and the other, well, less traveled by. He takes the latter and finds out that he never regrets taking that path. Though I may be taking this out of context, I see this as my life.

For a while now, I've been on the main route called the world. The world was a comfortable route because everyone took it and I could fit in easily if I just followed the desires of the world. I then came across a fork like this some years back. The old, overgrown route was different though because it had a voice to it that intrigued me. It was God calling me. Sure, I accepted Christ as my Savior and thought I was set for being in the main route of the world, but God knew that I liked old, unbeaten paths. I mean that's where you find the rare birds, wildflowers, and insects right? He also knew that I hate main roads too, and that I forcing myself to be driving with the world even though I hated it. The world wanted me to be what a guy "should" be. Someone who played sports and video games, pumped iron for hours, hold his own weight in alcohol for no reason, listen to the hottest and latest music, ride on skateboards, played guitar, have witty remarks through flirting, surely if you fit one of these requirements you'll get what a guy really needs, the girls!... The world also said "Guys shouldn't be planting pretty wildflowers in a garden, watching worthless small songbirds through binoculars, or raising caterpillars into lame butterflies, no one will want to hang out with you, girls will think you're lame and will never date you, you'll just be made fun of and be lonely for the rest of your life!" Wow, no wonder I hated roads. Yet, I struggled at that fork I encountered. I wanted to be popular in the eyes of the world, but I also wanted to be who God created me to be. I just wanted to be loved and accepted, but by who? I was reminded again that God loved me so much that He sent His Son to die for my sins, and that He loved me like a father loves his child. He also showed me the words of Jeremiah 29: 11-15 (look it up!) and they sounded more beautiful then a Hermit Thrush on a spring morning. It was then, around my junior year of high school, that I decided to get out of the car, put on a sturdy pair of hiking boots, and go on a hike with God giving me the direction the entire journey!

We all drive by an overgrown path sometimes, and we are scared to take it because we feel comfortable on the main road of the world. But I will tell you that on this hike, God has shown me amazing things! Trilliums, warblers, dogwoods, and tortiseshells... the real ones and metaphors. However, as any hike goes, it is not easy sometimes. Getting tired through changing elevations, sore feet, and encountering bears made the hike challenging. There were times where I fell into temptation to run off the path back to the main road of the world. Yet, God still gave me another shot at the trail again, and I was able to achieve over tough hiking conditions with another try. He still guides me, and like a struggling young tree on the forest floor, I need that guidance of His light to grow.

On that note, this blog is about what I encounter on my "Christian hike." whether it be something I want to show you about nature, something I learned in scripture, or just some daily thoughts that come to my mind. So, if you passed by that overgrown trail, go back to it and please, don't be afraid to take it and if you did, then you know how awesome this unbeaten path is. I close this with the words of Robert Frost, " I took the one less traveled by, and it has made all the difference."