Julie Lavender

My guest blogger today is K.A.Wypych. She's another friend I only know through social media, but I thoroughly enjoy reading her blog posts and I know you will, also! Read below about her hike with God and the lessons she learned while hiking. Then visit her website for more of her insightful and inspirational posts. 

Soul hike: Am I on the right path?

By K.A. Wypych

Ever traipse in a circle wondering, “Am I on the right path?”

I’m planning to hike a 14,000 foot mountain next summer. So to train, I started with a baby hike in a local preserve. The parallelogram-shaped trail map seemed simple enough.  

Yet, on the actual path, the world looked different. There were multiple little offshoot trails I never saw when I studied the map. I stopped and stood at the first intersection.

Do I go straight? Am I on the right path?

I soldiered on climbing down around trees along the edge of a reservoir. I took some pictures for social media (of course). The dried, fallen oak leaves crackled pleasantly underfoot until the trail banked and I nearly slid off.

Eventually, I stopped paying attention to my surroundings because I worried I wasn’t headed in the correct direction.

Ever felt like that in life?

Sometimes we move forward with good intentions only to realize our actual course looks different than we imagined. Where we feel God leading us can seem obvious until we reach the first “intersection” which forces us to pause.

We wait for guidance from the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the answer is obvious, and sometimes it’s not. Do we move forward or do we proceed in a separate direction?

Other times the obstacles become the focus, and we get obsessed with “getting there.” We lose our focus on God during the journey.

Are you trapped in a circle?

Let me give you some tips.

1. This hike highlighted why I need to go with a buddy or in a group. We need community and fellowship. It’s difficult to walk alone and stay strong with regards to our goals and principles. Join a church or a small group.
2. Even when the going is rough, we need to remember the journey. Life is about the roses. God has us learning and growing. While we can have growing pains, we need to find the enjoyment in our path...even if it’s over a tiny thing. Find one positive thing to focus on.
3. Pray for guidance and practice open willingness to be moved. Sometimes we “know” the way we should go, and we shut ourselves off from God’s plan for us. Practice quiet openness. Spend time in prayer.

All of us feel lost at one point or another. The key is to keep refocusing on God. Through Him, we really are conquerors.

So head to the woods and enjoy the outdoors! Proceed on your path with a smile on your face.

And, hike with a buddy...just in case. :)

Bio:

K.A. Wypych is a Christian writer, speaker, and athlete inspiring people to courageously persevere through challenges to reach their big dreams and better their lives. She’s published articles in the Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Athletes in Action- Under Review , and RUBY For Women as well as multiple devotionals for Athletes in Action. Ms. Wypych is currently under contract with Ambassador International to publish her book entitled Ten Iron Principles. The book is a non-fiction Christian living memoir about perseverance and salvation through playing football on a boys’ junior varsity team and her road to the Ironman triathlon. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) and works as a surgical physician assistant in Baltimore. Subscribe and follow at kawypych.com.
Never quit. Defy limits. CourageUP!