A few days ago I went for an evening hike at Rose Valley Lake. Before I knew it the sun began to set and I needed to make my way back. At a certain point, it was completely dark, I came to a split in the trail, and was given two options – I could take the longer trail through a field or I could take the shorter trail through the woods. So, I made the rash decision to take the shorter route. Well, that was a mistake... The overcast of trees blocked the moonlight, made it extremely difficult to see, and caused me to keep veering off the trail.

After a few wrong turns and some backtracking, I made it back to my car. In the end, my decision to take the shorter trail probably took more time, energy, and confusion than the longer trail. In this Sunday’s Collect prayer, we hear: “O God, who show the light of your truth to those who go astray, so that they may return to the right path, give all who for the faith they profess are accounted Christians the grace to reject whatever is contrary to the name of Christ and to strive after all that does it honor...”

In our faith journey, we often come to a split in the road and are presented with a variety of different paths. The decision to choose the right path might seem longer, but it is often the better way to reach our heavenly goal. However, sometimes we take the shortcuts to our destination – often leading us down a confusing, dark, and difficult trail. The key is to focus on the path where God’s light of truth will guide us safely to our destination. Is it always easy to discern the best path?... Well, probably not if all we do is trust in what we think is best. But, if we follow the light of faith that has been given to us, God’s grace will continue to guide us every step of the way.