Follow

This past week has been a creative one. God has given me several downloads about projects that I need to stop putting off—projects that involve writing, one of the great passions of my life, but that also require discipline. . . and time, something that comes up short nearly every day. However, like lots of women, I've wrestled with low-key, chronic anxiety, sometimes for months at a time. I call it "Who am I, what am I doing, and how am I gonna get it all done" syndrome. Therefore, even though I was excited in my spirit about the projects to come, I was also sort of complaining to God: "But how am I gonna do everything? When am I gonna do it all?"


God's answer involved two little words He used on His first twelve disciples: "Follow Me." Except that it came across as all capital letters:


"FOLLOW ME."


God wasn't yelling, just as not everyone who write their emails and texts in all caps is yelling (even though it feels like it, so if you do this, I love you but please stop). The statement was in all caps because it's such a familiar one, which means it's easy to miss the point, and He didn't want me to miss it. Sometimes I can be a little slow on the uptake.


I was reminded of the camping trips I used to take with my friend Debbie, when we'd throw a tent and some gear into the trunk of her beater car and drive to East Tennessee for a few days of intense hiking. Each morning, we'd get up, stuff ourselves with whole wheat pancakes, and decide which trail to tackle that day. Once we reached the trailhead, Debbie always led the way. This is because I'm directionally challenged. The one time I was in charge of the map during a hike, we ended up going in circles until we realized that I was holding the map upside down. She, on the other hand, has a great sense of direction, so to make things easy she always led after that fiasco. This way, we could completely give ourselves to the hike. 

Occasionally, we'd yak it up like best friends do, but there were also great chunks of time during which we were in the "zone"—that wonderful, quiet rhythm that comes with spending yourself physically. In the zone, time lost significance. All our focus was on the next few feet ahead of us as we progressed step by step by step, our breathing even, our feet negotiating rocks and tree roots, our legs burning pleasantly. When we needed food, we stopped and ate, but we never felt rushed. Things that mattered in the "real world" lost all importance. We were content, energized, and entirely present in the moment. One day in particular, we kept at it from sunup to sundown until we'd hiked the Upper Loop, a challenging, twelve-mile trail with few flat stretches that traverses the Fall Creek Falls Gorge.

When you're no good at directions, it's okay to let a friend lead the way through the East Tennessee woods. When you're no good at finding your way through life, it's okay to let God lead the way. Actually, it's more than okay; it's a matter of life or death. 

I confess that I'm no good at finding my way across town or through life. 

By surrendering to God's lead—that is, by following Him one day at a time—you can give yourself to the journey. You can yield to His rhythm, allowing Him to navigate, to lead you step by step, mile by mile. You don't have to worry about the details or whether or not you're going to get where you need to be. You can rest assured that He's got it all figured out: He's got all the time and resources necessary for you to do what He has called you to do. You can be very present in the moment, and you won't miss out on the beauty of "now." 

Is this difficult for you? Do you struggle to maintain control rather than simply follow? 


Follow (vb.): to come after; to move behind in the same direction.