The Path

Here I am, walking down the path. I look in the distance and I see a man calling out to me saying, "Justin, Justin. Come to me." I look back and I see the footprints I have made along the path. Multiple times I see my footprints stray from the path only to eventually come back. Why did I venture off the path in the first place?

As I continue walking down the path, I notice, how it is getting narrower, and narrower. It is almost to the point where I am having troubles staying on. It is then I start to look over to the right, and then to the left. I see beautiful sand that looks so nice to walk on. I continue to look and admire this beautiful sand, and then I hear someone calling out my name, "Justin, Justin. Come on out here, the sand is nice on the feet. Don't trouble yourself with that ever decreasing narrow path." The offer seems tempting, then I look up ahead on the path. It looks like it stretches forever yet I still see the man ahead of me calling out to me, "Justin, Justin. Come to me."

I am now torn. What should I do? Where should I go? I start thinking about how nice it would be to walk on the sand, how much easier it would be to not stay on the path. So I decide to take a step. I step into the sand, my oh my, does that ever feel good. The man calling me says, "You see, it's nice isn't it?" I take another step, then another, and then another. I start running around enjoying the nice sand just having a jolly good old time.

As I continue playing and enjoying the sand, a feeling starts to overtake me. What is this feeling? Why is it that something doesn't feel right? I stop to think about it and contemplate what this is. After sometime, I decide, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. So I turn back and make my way back to the path. I walk quickly to make it back but just before I get to it, I get stuck. I see the path right in front of me but I can't reach it. It wasn't until long is when I realize that I am starting to sink. Quick sand?! How did I not see this?! I struggle to get myself free but the more I struggle, the faster I sink. I quickly realize that there is no way for me to get free on my own. I cry out, "Oh why did I stray from this path." Then I look back and I see the footprints that strayed from the path. This has happened to me before yet I keep on forgetting. I keep on straying from the path knowing that the path is the only safe way to get to my destination.

I have now sunk to the point that only my head is above the sand. It is only a matter of time before I am fully covered. I look up ahead of the path and see the man watching. With one last breath, I cry out for help and reach out with my hand as I disappear into the sand. As I continue to sink deeper, I start to think that there is no hope for me to be saved. This is the end.

But then, just before my hand disappears into the sand, I feel something grip onto my hand. Someone has grabbed my hand! I feel this person starting to pull me out of the sand. As the rest of my arm comes to the surface, I feel another set of hands, and then another grab my arm and pull me up. It wasn't until long before I was on the surface. I'm now lying there coughing up sand and trying to get the sand out of my eyes. Then someone says, "Here this will help." and offers me some water to wash out my eyes. After, I look up, and I see the man who was at the end of the path. I look around and see others, my friends who are also on this path. They all helped pull me out. Then I realize that I was back on the path. Wait a minute? Was this path this wide before?

Then one of my friends, says to me, "Here Justin, let me help you up. This man heard you cry for help and told us that you were in trouble. We tried to get here as fast as we could. Sorry it took so long." I look around, and I see all my friends, there smiling and batting the sand off of me. I feel so loved and accepted. I look to the man who first grabbed my hand and thanked him. He smiled and said, "I have been here the whole time and I will always be here watching over you and taking care of you. Take your time Justin and gather yourself again. I'll be waiting for you and your friends at the end of the path." Then he turned around and walked ahead on the path.

I again, look at the path. Why does it look like it has gotten wider? Before, it was so narrow that I had so much trouble staying on it. It was then it hit me, what did the man say? "I'll be waiting for you and your friends..." The path has gotten wider because my friends are here. It is because my friends are here to help and support me and me to support them. I soon realized that it is not just me that is walking down this path but all of us and that we are walking this path together to support and protect each other. To help each of us when we fall and to protect us from straying from the path.

Once I have collected myself and cleaned myself up, my friends and I now walk this path together. It was only because of the support from the man and my friends that I am here today.