Kind of a lived-“parable” today, I guess…
A few days ago I decided to take a run in Mission Trails Regional Park in San Diego that I hadn’t run before. I consulted the trail map posted online and decided the route I would take. It involved a trail entitled “Perimeter Trail North” along the park side of Highway 52. I began my run and enjoyed it, but there were some areas that were challenging (the map entitled them “difficult”). I reached a particular spot and had to make a decision… would I run left or right? Right looked pretty – left looked more interesting. I opted for left… I ran past a sign that pointed back to the trail, but ignored it. I pressed on… I even saw a sign that indicated Highway 52 was just ahead and pressed on, thinking there just had to be a place to rejoin the Perimeter Trail… The sign warned me again “Bicycles (and runners) do not enter Highway 52!” I pressed on past the sign, along the highway, thinking there just had to be a place along the highway to rejoin Perimeter Trail. On the other side of the highway I saw the trail – but no place to get over the high fence back on the right trail… (Finally, after extra miles, I found a place where I was able to scale the fence and rejoin the trail).
Lessons learned… You want to pay attention to the map and the signs (for me, in life, that’s God’s word – the Bible)!
Another lesson… It’s not enough to stay as close to the fence as you can. You want to stay on the right side of fence! I know people who try to do it in life and, according to the Bible, being on the wrong side of the fence leads to the wrong destination and lots of pain and regrets along the way!
Final lesson… “Riding the fence” is a dangerous thing. I can tell you, first of all, it was difficult to find a place to scale the fence – and secondly it was a dangerous enterprise once I found a place to cross! I would not recommend “riding the fence” as a way to live your life and serve the Lord!
You know, I’ve decided that in serving the Lord, I want to follow the map (what the Bible teaches). And I need to pay attention to the sign posts along the way and not strike out on my own (doing what is “right in my own eyes”). Finally, if I find myself on the wrong side of the fence, I want to get back on the right trail as quickly as possible (even if it is a bit painful and embarrassing)!
Just a few life lessons learned on a day of running the trails of Mission Gorge.
I’m grateful we still have Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday!
