On my trip to Vermont this summer, I went on a bike trail just north of Burlington. As I rode along, I suddenly realized that the trail was taking me straight into Lake Champlain. I kept pedaling and the trail on dry land kept going. With water on both sides, I became a little frightened and made a concerted effort to keep the wheels of my bike rolling near the certain of the path. There was no room for error. If I somehow left the path on either side, I would be veering into water. Eventually the trail ended midway through the bay, where a railroad bridge once spanned the water the rest of the way to South Hero Island. I carefully returned on the path on came in on, feeling stronger in my legs and more sure of my balance on the bike as I again negotiated toward the center of the path to a wide expanse of land on shore.
The experience, while thrilling, made me think for a moment about the trepidation the Children of Israel must have felt as they traversed along dry land with the water of the Red Sea being held back by God on both sides. They must have focused on their feet, making sure they were walking a straight line toward shore, not accidentally stepping into the churning waters that could have swept them away. After a while though, their steps must have gotten easier; they found themselves more sure-footed as they neared the end of their trek. We are reminded of how they celebrated with song and tambourine when everyone had safely crossed and they had escaped their Egyptian captors.
God provides us with ways out of dangerous situations that often take some courage on our part. We need to stay focused, pay attention and keep the goal of relief in mind each time we step foot into paths marked out for us that can be tricky to navigate, but in the end are for our benefit. I think of recovery after surgery, getting out of a difficult relationship or searching for new employment.
Like the Children of Israel, we have a God who will deliver us. All we need to do is put one foot in front of the other and trust him to take us to where he wants us to be.
