When we were walking in the Warrumbungles National Park a couple of months ago, I began to muse on the various states of the tracks and how they resembled the "tracks" we walk on our life journeys, where the road is never smooth all of the way.
We may start along smooth paths, where things are going well for us, and we may tread these kinds of paths at different times in our lives.
But then we come across rocky times, where the going gets rough and we need to tread carefully. We may have been traumatised by life experiences and the way becomes painful.
At other times the walking becomes easier again, but we need to be careful of things in life that can trip us up.
There are times when the going is uphill and we need extra effort, and there may be steps to follow to help us ....
... or the steps may be rockier and require more effort ...
... or we may even be left with a rough path with no formed steps ...
... or no path or guidance at all and the need to scramble along the best way we can for a while.
There may be bridges to cross in order to adjust to changes ...
... or at these times there may be no bridges and we will need to stumble over rough creek beds.
From time to time there will be cross-roads and choices to make, often with little guidance as to what we will find along each path.
We may be tempted to follow little enticing goat tracks that lead us no-where, and to possibly becoming lost for a while.
We may tread paths that others have trodden, and have their footsteps and experiences to guide us.
Or we may be left with the debris of their journeys to navigate through.
However, if we keep walking along each section of pathway that life gives us, we will always come to a new section, and may even walk through shadows to a more promising future.
Remember: If you light a lamp for someone else, it will also brighten your path. Buddha
