Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Consider the paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
Proverbs 4: 25-27
We Michiganders believe that nothing is more beautiful than a Michigan Autumn. We relish its jumble of colors; we inhale the spices of its drying leaves and crave its briskness on our faces. And, if possible, we abide in it – every possible moment of every possible day – captivated by its presence, knowing that we possess it only a short time.
~~ ~~ ~~
Living on a country lot connected to 80 acres, I walk autumn, and I run it, and I occupy it as much as I can in its short season.
Along the way, however, Autumn’s striking colors and fallen leaves camouflage some hidden perils. Dangers often lie below its stunning surface.
For instance, I’ve learned to tread carefully as I walk and jog the lanes throughout our beautiful acreage. Autumn’s veil of color conceals ruts and roots along those trails, and those destructive obstacles are just waiting to trip me and make me fall.
~~ ~~ ~~
These nature paths parallel the paths of life I take, of the times I stumble, of the times I fall, but of the faithfulness of my God, as He lifts me up, brushes me off, and holds me up, once again facing the right direction. It’s only through His Word that I know my way.
He whispers in His word,
“Kathi, follow sound judgment. Be discerning. Judgment and discernment are life for you! Carry them near your heart. They keep you safe – safe from stumbling. . .”
