Folks Along the Way

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the
way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee
with Mine eye.
Psalm 32:8

It was one of the most exciting days of my life. I was in first grade and after much begging over weeks, my Mother agreed to let me walk to my Grandma Benbrook's house. Now this was no small undertaking and people today would get cold chills at the thought of letting a child do such a thing. After much testing and traveling back and forth over many weeks, Mother agreed to my trek. You must understand that I grew up in a smaller town in Southern Illinois. Small compared to most, it was still a major coal mining center. Most folks in our town were born and raised there. Even upon graduation, guys for the most part went to the mines to work and girls married their high school sweethearts. I'm just saying that in our town, most people knew each other. Especially in one's own area of town, folks were almost on a first name basis.

My trek to Grandma's was going to be the distance of about a half mile or a little more. Mother called Grandma to let her know when I was on my way. After walking a half block, there was Mrs. Britton on her front porch. She simply said, “Good mornin' Glendarae.” I answered back and would have stopped to talk, but I was on a mission. The next block, Ruth Young from her porch called out to me. She was a lady in our church who did everything. Every small church needs a Ruth Young who runs the bulletin, banks the offerings, and heads Bible School. She was the first lady who told me when I was a freshman in high school that she saw me being a teacher someday.

I continued on my trek coming to our church and beyond where a couple of familiar faces had appeared to greet me. I made a necessary right turn and a few houses down was Mrs. McNeil who taught the older ladies Sunday school class at our church. She too smiled warmly and greeted me. A little further and over a hill was Grandma's house and she stood on her front porch waving at me.

I wasn't old enough to be curious about all of the familiar, helpful and friendly people I met on my trip to Grandma's, but into adulthood reliving that experience of “total independence” at the age of six and a half (the half is VERY important), I must say at times that I've since been suspicious of the goings on that day, but glad I didn't know it at the time. My Mother, I am sure, had prepared the way for my trek to insure my safety and well being.

In remembering this MAJOR incident in my life, I have to wonder about you and me as we are on this trek of life... how many folks God has placed periodically in our lives for His own purposes and for our very best. We may have thought that such folks popped up out of nowhere, miraculously and even mysteriously. We still think we are independent, making our way through life, doing well in our prideful state. I wonder if we ever think of how God looks ahead of us and how He strategically places special folks along our “sidewalks” of life. Such folks often have greater impacts on our lives than we can ever know. These are people who impacted our lives at just about every stage, but we were oblivious to their importance.

We can look back at the various stages of our lives, be they school days, career and even single times of life, marriage, and child rearing. Even if you are an “empty nester,” perhaps another such experienced friend came along side or met you along the way to be an encouragement or to give helpful advice. I knew my way to my Grandma's house, but I must admit there have been many times when I've had no instructions or road maps. Even when knowing the Word of God is my very best guide, I often couldn't even interpret it for myself. That was when I really came to know the Holy Spirit, my True Guide for life. If I've ever needed human direction, God has provided that with family, friends or others who seemed to appear on their “front porches” to wave me on.

Just as I believe my Mother orchestrated my very important trek seeing to my safety and well-being while never letting me in on her secret, God does the very same for us on a daily basis. He is interested in the most intimate details of our lives. When our walk through this life is over, we'll walk that last piece of earthly “sidewalk” and we'll see Jesus awaiting our arrival and “what a day that will be.”

Thank you Holy Spirit for being our Guide as I walk this life that is sometimes filled with illness, dangers, discouragements, but with lots of happiness and delight. Thank You for revealing Your Word to us, for making it clear to our hearts. Help us stay on the right path, trusting You always. Thank You Heavenly Father, for Your every provision for us. In Jesus' precious name....Amen