The first time I rode up to check out the trail I decided to ride it first. That way I could check out the terrain and length to see if I wanted to try to run it or not. As I started a runner was coming my way so I asked him a couple of questions regarding the trail, like how long it is and if it's difficult to follow or not. He assured me that it was laid out simply and that it was about a mile and a half. But there was one T where if you navigate correctly you go around the "lake" (it's barely a pond in my book...). Then he made this statement Just stay on this path and you'll be fine. I thanked him and rode on.
About a third of the way in, I came to a T in the path. I could continue going straight or turn sharply to the right. I thought about what the young man had said stay on this path.Well, "this path" seemed like I should go straight to me! But I soon found I had been looped around some little neighborhood just before the path met the blacktop on the other side. I went back and made the, now left hand, turn. He was right - easy path!
As I thought about his instructions "this path" made sense to him because he understood that "this path" was going to take a sharp turn. It seemed to me that he was familiar with this path! And he knew exactly where it was going. But to the novice it all looked the same and "this path" could really be either direction!
How easy it is to be so familiar with the things we've done for so long that we fail to realize someone else might not understand? I had a math teacher like that once too! lol! He could do some really high level math but he could not explain to us how to get from step one to step two! Because it just made sense to him.
If we are not careful our Christian walk can become so familiar that we don't know how to help others along the way. It is too easy for us to assume (because this is a Christian blog - I won't say what you're thinking!) that others know what we know. As believers we need to take the time to carefully explain the things that we have come to see as just understood, or mundane. Everyone isn't as familiar with the simple stuff as we may be. Take time to help others find the right path - don't make assumptions about what makes sense - we are called to disciple, not just run the path!
About a third of the way in, I came to a T in the path. I could continue going straight or turn sharply to the right. I thought about what the young man had said stay on this path.Well, "this path" seemed like I should go straight to me! But I soon found I had been looped around some little neighborhood just before the path met the blacktop on the other side. I went back and made the, now left hand, turn. He was right - easy path!
As I thought about his instructions "this path" made sense to him because he understood that "this path" was going to take a sharp turn. It seemed to me that he was familiar with this path! And he knew exactly where it was going. But to the novice it all looked the same and "this path" could really be either direction!
How easy it is to be so familiar with the things we've done for so long that we fail to realize someone else might not understand? I had a math teacher like that once too! lol! He could do some really high level math but he could not explain to us how to get from step one to step two! Because it just made sense to him.
If we are not careful our Christian walk can become so familiar that we don't know how to help others along the way. It is too easy for us to assume (because this is a Christian blog - I won't say what you're thinking!) that others know what we know. As believers we need to take the time to carefully explain the things that we have come to see as just understood, or mundane. Everyone isn't as familiar with the simple stuff as we may be. Take time to help others find the right path - don't make assumptions about what makes sense - we are called to disciple, not just run the path!
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