“The Sun will rise and set regardless. What we choose to do with the light while it’s here is up to us. Journey wisely.” ―
Today was a beautiful beginning to March, the kind of day that if you don’t go outside and do something you feel you have missed a sweet opportunity to enjoy life. March can be a fussy month with ten different kinds of weather in one day, but it can also gift us with a perfect spring day before the calendar admits it’s spring. Not only was this first day of March beautiful with sunshine and warmer temperatures, it also landed on a Sunday. That gave extra time to enjoy and appreciate the sunshine.
I’m always happy when my son and his family come out to hike with me and often we end up at a cliff area on my farm. These pictures are from one of those times a few yea
rs ago. We went again today but I forgot my phone. It’s not totally bad to forget one’s phone. Not having to worry about pictures gave me extra time to soak in the sun filled air.
The walk today was the reason I picked this 1st Sunday devotional. It’s short but I hope you will enjoy the thought and words.
1st Sunday Devotional
When I walk with youngsters, I want them to have nothing but a smooth path before them with flowers to pick and no thorns to make the walk unpleasant. But of course, the thorns are always there and the paths are rarely perfectly smooth. Sometimes paths they want to follow are easy. Others times, the paths they face are steep and rocky. One place on my farm has those steep, rocky paths and of course, that’s one of the favorite places to go. When we’re there, I watch them walk among the rocks and at times hold my breath. Sometimes I reach out a hand to steady them or voice a warning to be careful.
That’s my way of trying to assure they’ll be safe. But even if I could somehow level the paths and make them easy, I’d be cheating my grandkids and other young friends out of the chance of developing their climbing muscles or the thrill of making 
it over the rocks in the path. The same is true in their daily lives. We want our children to be happy and not have to face difficult times. We wish we could somehow bulldoze all the problems out of their paths, but even if we were able to do that, we’d be doing them a disservice for how could they develop character without the challenge of overcoming difficulties?
So we watch and suffer with them as they clamber over the rocky obstacles in their daily life. We offer prayers and guidance and love. And then there’s nothing left to do but move out of the way and let them grow. We all have to figure out the way around the rocks in the path of life for ourselves. That helps us develop character.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4 (NKJ)
Have you faced rocky paths in your life? If so, how did you make it past those life obstacles?
As always, thanks for reading.