Walking through a Forest

       Picture yourself in a forest. You’re walking down a dirt trail when you come across a sign that says you are on the wrong path. You take a look at your map and compass and realize that you took a wrong turn a few miles back. What do you do? Do you ignore the sign and keep walking down that path? Do you sit down in frustration? Do you turn around and journey back to the correct path?

I have ventured down my fair share of wrong paths in life. I have always encountered signs along my journey telling me I was heading in the wrong direction. Sometimes, this sign was my conscience; sometimes, it was something said by a person I trusted; sometimes, it was a message I came across in Jesus’ teachings. It often hurts to see those signs. They force you to come face-to-face with reality. But everyone can make mistakes. That is part of life. The question is: What do you do when you start encountering these signs? Often, it seems easiest to ignore them and continue down your path. Pretending all is well is sometimes easier than seeing the truth. However, the farther we venture, the more difficult it is to return to the correct path. Sometimes, we can feel hopeless when coming upon one of these signs. We can want to give up and not look for a way out. Turning back and walking those miles to make things right can seem daunting.

But can it be done? Is it possible to be humble, see one’s own wrongdoings, and set them right? Acknowledging that I have made a mistake is the first step in the right direction. I can make a journey of weeks, months, or years turn in the right direction by just seeing a sign and having the courage to turn around. The road back is hard, but each step I take makes me a better person. It may not be easy, but it is the only road worth taking.

Despite this essay being very metaphorical, I find these thoughts very applicable to my life. I try to always be on the lookout for these signs. How well is my life aligning with Jesus’ teachings? What is my conscience telling me? How is my relationship with those I care about and respect? If I see I am not sticking to the scriptures, I reevaluate my decisions and spend time in prayer and study to live out Jesus’ message better. If I notice my conscience is weighing me down, I find out the cause of that, and I make it right. If I see a problem in a relationship with someone dear to me, I try to sort things out immediately.