Taking The Next Step

Hmmm...

This past June, I went on an overnight “tiyul,” as a trip is known in modern Hebrew, to commence a year-long study abroad program. One of the highlights of the trip was a very unique water trail in the Galilee region of northern Israel.

Gushes of water rushed along a floor of slippery, sharp rocks that seemed to pierce through the inch-thick soles of my Crocs. A line of eighty girls trekked through the water trail, shrieking every few minutes, as they submerged deeper into the frigid waters. The windy path was lined with low-hanging branches, forcing us to choose under-or-over limbo. Every few steps, we had to stop and figure out how to continue forward. With each measured step, we had to try to feel with our soles for a secure foothold to tread on. The murky, opaque waters did not allow us to predict a sudden twelve-inch drop.

Luckily, each of us was always following directly behind someone, so at least we could alert each other if that was the case.

I’m not one for philosophy midday, but as I was hiking through the trail, I realized that this walk was very similar to life. You know the general direction, but choosing the exact path is difficult because you can’t always see what’s happening under your feet. A person ahead of you stumbles and falls, so you know to be careful at that spot, or simply avoid it altogether. Sometimes the waters are deep; sometimes you can miss a step and twist your ankle. Sometimes, you may want to stop to rest, but you’re afraid to lose momentum.

And if you do stop for a rest, you have to get up and keep going. There is no other way out; you have to reach the end…

I understood that though I may never know exactly what lies ahead of me, taking careful, measured steps could make all the difference in my future. The water trail made sense to me.