Steps

Almost everyday, I walk down to check the mail. 

In the city, this wasn’t a big deal. It was just “Open the door, stick your hand in the box and come back.”

We don’t live in the city anymore. It’s a half mile walk down to the mail box.

Anyway, I bequeathed this job upon myself, mainly because it's a good, quiet ten minute walk that I can use to think. 

Along with the beautiful changing tree leaves, crazy squirrels and dead snakes, I have noticed a dried up creek bed at the bottom of the hill. 

Although I have wondered where it went, I have been a logical human and just not touched it.

Yesterday my sense of adventure overcame the senses of logic and rational thought.

And I walked down that dried up creek bed.

Even thought the water was long gone, you could tell where it had been, and how it would have flowed.

There where parts where the banks of this long gone river would have flowed feet over my head. There where parts covered in sharp rocks, and one could just tell that would be the rapids of the river.

 If you ever get a chance to walk down a dried up creek bed, do it, because it’s cool.

As I was walking through this one valley/trench part that was way above my head, I started thinking about steps.

There are times in my life when I feel like I’m walking on a bunch of loose rocks. They wiggle under my feet and I feel like I’m going to fall and get hurt. 

I started thinking about the steps of doubt, the steps of pain and the steps that involve walking into the great unknown. 

As you walk--not only down a physical road, but also down a spiritual road-- there are so many things to fear.

This is the season that the world glorifies the valleys of death and fear.  During Halloween it’s “Fun” to glorify fear and to scare people by hanging those fears in front of their faces.  It’s everywhere! (Including in my house. My brothers have these rubber spiders...) 

The thing is, we don’t have to fear death, because Jesus stole the keys to death and if we believe in him to be saved, we will be with him in Heaven forever when we die.

We don’t have to fear the new paths that God places before us, because Jesus is going to be walking down that road with us.

We don’t have to fear being alone, because Jesus is right next to us, holding our hand through the storms.

We don’t have to fear rejection, because Jesus accepts us as his children.

We don’t have to fear what each day will hold, because through it all, he’s going to be right here next to us.

We don’t have to fear.

In fact, we can be fearless.

We can stand before those giants in our lives, and be brave.

Don’t get me wrong, I have fears. I don’t like spiders or bikes. (Or mice. If you ask politely I have a story about a mouse.)

But fears are chains. They bind you to a way of thinking that is really illogical.

Again, I have fears. If you put a spider outside my door, I would probably scream and cry until someone came. But how illogical is that?

Our fears don’t have to trap us.

Keep standing strong.

“Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid because you are with me. Your rod and your shepherd’s staff comfort me.” ~Psalms 23:4 NCV

~Rachel Joy