Sidewalks

There is one issue we must continually address when walking in our city. . .the sidewalks. If you ever pass people  walking in the street and wonder why they aren't on the sidewalks,  there is probably a good reason.

There are many areas in our city with good, flat sidewalks. One of my favorite places to walk is on Government Street because the sidewalks are shaded by a large canopy of oak trees and they are wide and usually in good shape.

Blocked sidewalk

There are areas with problems, however.  Some of these areas are where the sidewalk is flat and intact, but the aggregate in the concrete is made of big, smooth pebbles.  The slightest dampness makes it so slippery, it is dangerous to traverse.

Then there are places where trees,  scrubs and other plants have encroached the pathway enough to make it impassable.  Today we encountered some type of thorny vine across the sidewalk. . . we definitely didn't want to get tangled in that!

There are places where the sidewalk is broken up and pieces project up at odd angles.  I have seen some as much as ten or twelve inches above the rest of the sidewalk.

Some areas where the sidewall itself is intact,  have been covered with the erosion of topsoil from the adjoining yard,  creating a substance as slick as oil.

My favorite area of sidewalks in our town is downtown.  The trees are encircled with beautiful flowers, the sidewalks are usually swept and clean.  The gas lights add a pleasant touch, and there is always something interesting to see.

The main thing about sidewalks, though, is that they are a path.  As Christians, we all follow a path in life.  Sometimes that path is wide and covered with shade, making for a pleasant time.  Sometimes the path is cracked up and broken. We must trust the Lord for His wisdom and guidance as to where we place our feet.

Sometimes our path is covered with slick, dirty stuff.  We all experience times when the temptations of the world, the devil and our own flesh seem to obscure our path.  As with our physical sidewalks, we do best our best to avoid these spots at all costs.  We should never harbor so much pride that we think we can walk through the mud-slick without coming away with mud upon us.

Sometimes our paths have uneven places, places that even require us to climb a bit.  These places cause us to trust the Lord more and to help us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ."

May we each seek to walk the path the Lord has set before us, and in those times when the way is not clear, let us pray, as did David, "Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path. . ." Psalm 
27:11.

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in His way."