Cairns

In the western United States, there have been several instances where I found myself on a sandstone expanse that stretched out as far as I could see. There was not a tree, shrub, or even a blade of grass within sight. And, believe it or not, I was on a trail. In the midst of such barrenness and loneliness, the only things that prevented me from becoming hopelessly lost were cairns:

These stacks of stones serve as guides on trails in dry, rocky, and often risk-filled landscapes. On more than one occasion, rock piles similar to the one above have helped me keep my bearings, showing me where I should go – and perhaps just as importantly – where I should not go.

Similarly, on the trail of life, I have had and continue to have guides which help me along my journey. These include:

CARING PEOPLE:   My wife, Jean, has encouraged me and helped me along the paths of life and faith in more ways than I could count. In addition, supportive words or actions from friends and relatives, in both the recent and distant past, still bring a smile to my face and generate a prayer of thanksgiving from my heart.

AWARENESS OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES:   There are times when I wish my To-Do List was shorter (or that certain tasks on it did not exist at all). But I realize there are things God leads me to be involved in and to people who are depending on me. I do not want to let down God or other folks to whom I’ve made a commitment.

INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS FROM FELLOW CHRISTIANS:   I am blessed to have a pastor, Stephen Clyborne, who is wise beyond his years. His insights from the pulpit and to me personally have both guided and blessed me. Also, authors such as David Jeremiah, Timothy Keller, C.S. Lewis, and Max Lucado have penned words that have found a home in my heart and mind. Their wisdom has aided me in navigating the winding canyons and boulder-strewn trails of life which I’ve encountered from time to time.

READING THE BIBLE:   Delving into God’s Word is an important source of inspiration, correction, and guidance for me. Recently, I have found that comparing a given passage in different translations or even paraphrases can be helpful in my study.

NOT FORGETTING MY BLESSINGS:   “Count Your Blessings” Johnson Oatman, Jr., wrote in 1897. I hope Mr. Oatman did not mean this literally since that would be a near-impossible task. But this does not and should not prevent me from being aware of the many ways God has watched over me and continues to enrich my life. Every day.

SPEAKING TO GOD IN PRAYER:   One of the areas of my spiritual life that I’ve been working on during the last few years is praying. I no longer regard prayer as just a few perfunctory words to be offered before a meal. I now see communicating with the Creator of the universe and the Author of my salvation as a privilege and something I do throughout the day.

Finally, I would mention one other benefit of being conscious of these guide stones: an awareness that God might use some of my actions or words to serve as cairns along the path of someone else’s journey.