31 Days: Pathway to Perseverance - Markers Along the Way

If you have ever participated in a long distance race or have taken a road trip with a car full of hungry, "are we there yet?"  children, you understand how comforting it can be to see a mile marker along the road.  Markers, such as mile markers, can tell us how far we have traveled and how far we have to go to cross the finish line or to reach our final destination.

Markers can also be used to help us to navigate. I am a landmark driver.  It is easier for me to identify the corner with a distinctive building or marker to find my way than to think of compass points. Now that we live in a state covered with trees and there are no identifiable landmarks, I use a GPS constantly to help me to find my way. I love the beauty of the trees everywhere, but without the markers that I once so depended upon, I find myself making U-turns, often.

Markers can also bring comfort in times of transition. A fixed object, set in a particular place and attached to a particular emotion can be a steadfast reminder that although we are in perpetual motion, there are things that can be depended upon.  I found that to be true when we moved 3,000 miles across the United States to a new location where everything was completely different. I was trying hard to navigate the change, but I felt perpetually lost, and sometimes still do.

The first winter in our new home, was also the first time I experienced driving in the snow.  My thirty-five mile trek to work each day was an adventure. I found myself longing for landmarks or something that I could count on to know that I was on the right path and would make it to my desired destination, soon.  On one particularly lonely drive, my trusty GPS rerouted my maps to reduce my drive time. On this unfamiliar road, in a somewhat peculiar location between the two sides of the road, and right before the entrance to a bridge, stood a cross. There was something so very beautiful about this particular carved cross for me. It marked the halfway point of my drive, but it also was a symbol of an everlasting truth, right there for the world to see. Now, every winter, I take that path so that I can see the symbol that brought me so much comfort during the days filled with the newness of the unknown.

With the ever changing landscape of our society, I do not know if that beautiful cross will always be in the same familiar place, but it will always remain a maker in my memory of a warm welcome to a new place, graced by the presence of God.

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