The last two weeks have been a tumult of emotions for me:
Two weeks ago we had someone lined up who wanted to see our house. We were cleaning hard, purging and storing things so the house would look top notch. We had begun looking seriously for a new home and had located three that we really thought met our needs; we only needed to go see them and decide how to rank order them so we would be ready to place an offer once our home sold.
Then came Monday- my husband calls and tells me that the people who wanted to see our house had located and purchased another one. Then came Tuesday night when we learned that our top choice for a new home had sold. Then came Wednesday when we learned a second one had sold.
By this point my heart had taken all that it could take. I had cried MANY tears and felt like my whole world was just crashing down around me. Here I sat in an immaculate house, ready for showing, just waiting for someone to realize that it could be their new beginning.
I could not take sitting here alone and I HAD to do SOMETHING….. just to get out of the house. For some reason, I heard this nagging little voice telling me, “Go to Natural Bridge. You have not been there in years.”
Natural Bridge is one of Kentucky’s state parks. Within fifteen minutes of our house, the park houses a natural sandstone arch 78 feet long and 65 feet high. There are two ways to the top: a chairlift or a hike up the mountain. I decided to do the hike because I thought it would be one way to get a lot of steps in.
As I headed down the wooden steps from the parking area I was in high spirits. The walk was easy and smooth. Reaching the actual path I still felt confident; the path was well packed and made for easy walking. Within the first quarter of a mile I began to discover sporadic muddy spots from the recent rains. I had to slow my pace and try to maneuver around the mess, but it was manageable.
As I continued up the mountain I began to feel the effects of the vertical climb over rocky terrain. My heart was beating faster, my breathing was heavy, and sweat was drenching my shirt. I found myself stopping from time to time to lean on the wooden railings that bordered some of the path and just allow myself to take in the beauty of my surroundings. Waterfalls, lush vegetation, and the occasional blossom filled my view. I could hear water rushing down the mountain in various spots. I knew I had to keep moving.
It had been at least two decades since I had made this journey. I had been younger then, more sure footed, and definitely in better physical condition. There were few other travelers on this path and all of the ones I had encountered so far were younger than me. I just kept telling myself, “I can do this. It will be worth it.”
About that time I reached my goal. I could see the underside of the huge arch towering above me, light flickering through the leaves.
Feeling rejuvenated, I moved forward, finally reaching the top of the arch. I stood there on solid ground, taking in the beauty of the Kentucky hills.
I had done it! A full mile hike up rocky terrain, through muddy holes, and I had accomplished it going one step at a time.
I suddenly realized that the nagging little voice that had told me to embark on this journey was the voice of God. He was trying to tell me that I need to continue to be patient and wait for him to work HIS plan for our house, our new home, and my family. The emotional upheaval I had felt this week had merely been one of those muddy spots in my path, one of those steep rocky sections of my life. God is STILL there, and his glorious plan for me is still ahead of me.
Psalm 40: 1-2 says:
I waited patiently for the Lord, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help. He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure.
Just as God had been with me through the Kentucky mud and rocky steeps, he would be with me through this long portion of my life. He set my feet on the solid rock of that arch and he WILL set my feet on the new soil of a new home. I need only to be patient and take it One Step at a Time!
Renewal and Refuge 