The Hiking Trail

It is so wonderful, in fact, that you end up staying there for two more weeks. You don’t move because you feel this is the place that you have been waiting for. What could be more beautiful and bring more happiness? You think to yourself, “I’ve arrived”. Time goes on. One morning you roll over, and turn to look for your friend. You realize she has gathered her things and is gone. Just like that – she has left. She leaves only a small note that reads: “Had to go. Hope you understand. Love, Jane. PS- You are amazing!”. In the blink of an eye, she’s gone and it seems like your heart has been ripped away. You sit there on a rock by the lake, dumbfounded, not knowing what to do next. Should I go try and find her? Do I wait for her to come back? You sit with uncertainty, unanswered questions and doubt about your future. Your journey feels like it has come to an abrupt and unpredictable end.

There are times in relationships that are like this. We get disillusioned—we think we know where we’re going and we think we’re on the same page with our mate. But then we are thrown for a loop. The very thing that attracted Jane to us is that we knew where we were going. She may have witnessed our passion about the trail we were on, or she may have seen our excitement about eventually reaching our ultimate destination. We were very attractive to her. It’s equivalent to a prince coming in and swooping a young maiden off her feet onto his white stallion. But once he has rescued her from danger, he doesn’t know where to go as he gallops away.

Many young men forget that the trail is part of our destination. We need to never forget our utmost calling while making our way to our completed journey. One thing that attracts a woman to a man is when she sees he is purposeful, intentional, and proactive with his life—regardless of whether or not she is walking next to him. He should know who he is, and roughly where he is going in life—with or without her. “Getting the girl” should not be the end of the hiking trail. It’s a wonderful thing, but it should never be the end of our journey.

If you find yourself in a failed relationship, feeling like you have been sitting on a rock next to the lake for a while, why not ask yourself, “Have I made someone the end of my journey? What’s keeping me from getting back on the trail?” Won’t it be nice when you hear the voice of God calling you again?” He understands your loss, but he still calls out, “Come up here! It’s a great view and we can’t wait until you arrive. The trail is still filled with adventure, joy, beauty and happiness. We’re all waiting and we have saved the best spot around our campfire just for you.”