And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… -Hebrews 12:1b
In life I’m a walker, not a runner. Regardless, the thought I want to convey is the same. I’ve learned that walking takes perseverance too. I’ve been reflecting on my relationship with uncertainty, especially in seasons when there has been little to no sense of direction. Have you ever been in one of those slumps? Are you in the middle of one currently? How are you framing your view of the unknown? Through the lens of curiosity or resistance?
The scripture is clear. The race (road, path, journey, calling, assignment) is marked out for us by God. We sometimes think we’ve missed the signpost. Could it be that the signs are just more spaced out than we originally thought? Or hidden from plain sight in order to entice the seeker in us? And could all of this be His “way” of nurturing our faith and growing us into people of character who know how to endure?
This idea is not unlike my experience of walking the way of the pilgrim, the El Camino de Santiago. My wife and I completed a 100 mile stretch of the trail in 2022. In just over a month from now, we return for more, albeit a different section of the trail…this time leading a group of like-minded couples.
The scallop shell symbol, famous along the Camino, appears once in a while along the way to ease the mind of the questioning pilgrim. This appeals to the planner in me. There is something that comes alive in me upon the sight of it. Yes, I say to myself, you are heading in the right direction. Who doesn’t like a bit of confirmation?
Walking the Camino somewhere in Northern Spain, 2022
However, there are long stretches of the trail void of markers. One does not always get to see the sign in front of them shouting “this is the way” (Mandalorian creed anyone?). But just often enough the pilgrim will spot the scallop shell etched into wood, dirt or stone, a welcome assurance that they are heading in the right direction.
In our faith journeys, God gives us markers along the way, signposts to encourage us and give us a sense of confidence that he is leading and directing. Not all of the time, remind you. The signs can be few and far between. Nothing predictable or formulaic. A God Who inspires wonder and mystery will have none of that. Nonetheless, He’s good at what he does in forming the human soul. He knows what we need and when.
Personally, I’ve navigated large gaps and spaces of uncertainty, and plenty confusion to go with it. I’ve longed for clarity in those seasons. Can you relate? I’ve missed a few signs along the way, having to retrace my steps. I’ve cried out for clarity. Maybe I should have been praying for trust instead?
This is why I love doing what I do as a coach, walking with others through transition seasons. So much of the process is about becoming OK with uncertainty, learning to trust. It’s the questions which drive curiosity. 100% confidence all the time loses its luster and produces stagnation.
We walk in life with the expectancy that the next mile-marker will confirm what we hope for. Not full clarity. Not total confidence. Certainly not completion (Is the real race ever really completed?). But a firm conviction that we haven’t just stumbled into this place; we are here with a purpose. We are in the Way.