Bam! I fell on my bottom so hard it jolted my whole body. It caught me completely by surprise. I felt a bit disorientated, so I remained sitting on the ground to gather myself. My elbow hit hard too. The sting of pain made me pause to evaluate, but I could still move it without pain. I’d probably have a pretty bruise though.

Ron and I had been hiking a very simple trail with our friend Roxi. It was a beautiful day. Just the right temperature with no breeze. We were seeing God’s masterpiece of the desert outside of Mesa, Arizona. Being Montana natives, the cactuses and bushes were such a contrast from our majestic mountains and pine trees. What a sight to see. We’d made it about a mile up the trail without any problems but then, with the first slope heading back down, my foot slipped out from under me and left me sitting on my behind.

After I caught my breath, I stood, and we proceeded on. Even though I was a bit more cautious, moments later, my foot slipped again. This time I caught myself before crashing. What in the world was going on that I slipped so easily; twice now? I lifted my foot to examine the sole of the shoe. The problem became obvious. There was no tread left. These shoes were fine for street walking and biking, but on a trail, were like being on a frozen pond with ice skates.

My ineffective shoes caused me to think of other times when I’d fallen, perhaps not physically, but in other ways; like when I wasn’t patient with my children because I hadn’t taken time to rest, or made a decision without praying about it first, or plowed through my day without spending time with God, and then wondered why things didn’t go so well.

Our daily walk with the Lord is as vital to life as a good pair of walking shoes on a desert trail. Without Him, we are ill-equipped on the trail of life. That can leave us ineffective. We can miss the moments He intends for us to help others or learn a lesson. We can grow stagnant and boring, not seeing opportunities for growth or change, or cause damage with missteps that are void of His wisdom and discernment. Although we can go through the motions of life, we may completely miss God’s intention, wasting our lives on things that mean nothing.

John 15:5 says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (NIV). Yep, apart from him, we are as unprepared for our journey as if we had worn shoes without a tread on a hilly walking trail. Sitting on a trail with bone jarring pain isn’t near as much fun as walking out the journey the Lord has waiting for us. When we stay connected to Him, He is our traction as we negotiate the decisions and circumstances of life. Happy trails my friends.