February 5 – “Which way is it?”

I went through my regular Monday routine of work yesterday.  Write an article for the church website.  Enter events and another article on the church FaceBook page.  Send birthday cards for the week.  Make sure bills are paid.  Write summaries for any weekend meetings and send them out to team members.  Catch up on emails.  Make phone calls.  Begin work on the specifics of next Sunday’s sermon.  Usually makes for quite a full day.  That routine was invaded by something yesterday, though, that was simple, pleasant, amazing, and was the highlight of the whole day.  I went for a walk. 

I know, doesn’t sound like much, and as far as walks go it wasn’t much.  I only went to the corner of the street and back.  That’s just one house away on a small block.  But this one was special.  See, I had a companion.  My Mom.  That’s right.  I went on a walk with my Mom.  I was at my desk when she arrived at the front door with her walker.  Instead of stopping there and surveying the goings on across the street as is her usual custom, she opened it right up and headed outside.  I jumped up to make sure she didn’t get tangled up and trip in the process.  I asked where she was going, but she didn’t respond.  Her face was pretty resolute, though, so I decided to join her and see what her plans were.  By this time Chris has come out to see what was wrong.  I told her we were apparently going for a walk, so she kind of grinned and left us to it.  Mom took a deep breath and started her journey.  I walked by her side in the grass to make sure she kept her balance and kept on track on the sidewalk.  She didn’t say anything until we reached the street.  At that point she took a long glance first one way, then the other.  I wondered if she would want to cross the street, but instead she very quietly asked, “Which way is it?”  I’m not sure what “it” was in her mind, but I stepped in and suggested that it was back the other way.  She nodded in agreement and we got her spun around and headed back toward our house.  When we reached our driveway she was looking a little bushed, so I directed her walker back toward the front door.  She was happy to oblige.  She made her way to the first chair she could find and collapsed into it.  It was the farthest she had walked at any one time in … well, in a long, long time. 

“Which way is it?”  Sometimes down to the corner and back is just the “right” way. 

John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”

Father, thank you for making “way” so much simpler to find.  And thanks for that little trek down the way with my Mom.  Amen.