To say we were lost might be a stretch. We did know our general location and we had a pretty good idea where we were headed. We had simply taken the wrong path. We set out for an easy to moderate five mile hike; however after six miles we began to suspect we were on the wrong course. When we hit a particularly steep stretch of the trail, which led directly up the face of the mountain our suspicions grew stronger. After a good seven hours of hiking with no lake cabin in sight we knew we had made a mistake. The error was made at the very beginning of our Saturday adventure when we mistakenly started on the wrong trail head. Instead of our easy to moderate five mile hike in the mountains outside of beautiful, Bozeman Montana we hiked a good seventeen miles directly over the top of the mountain.
We did eventually find our rented forest cabin nestled by a remote lake, appropriately named Mystery Lake. By the time we reached our destination, we were exhausted and our feet were full of painful blisters. As we rested on the cabin porch we studied the map (I recommend doing this sooner in the day). We located the correct trail to take the next morning. We were determined to find the five mile hike out. A repeat of the seventeen mile hike was not going to happen.
After a long night in the rustic cabin, where we shared our cramped quarters with mice and other unidentified creatures, we set out for the truck. The hike out was so much easier. Not only was it easier because the terrain was smooth and obstacle free, and the distance was considerably shorter, but it was easier because we knew we were headed home. Every painful step we took on our aching feet brought us one step closer to the truck, a shower, a hot meal and our own comfortable bed.
“Who can mind the journey when the road leads home?” James M. Gray.
Our journey does not always go according to plan. Sometimes we begin on the wrong path and we take an accidental detour. We can also suffer greatly in this journey of life. We can carry a heavy burden and end up with blisters. We can fight a debilitating disease which leaves us scarred and broken. We can live with the pain of loss and taste the sting of betrayal. Some may even suffer through the loss of a child. All these things are possible and some are even quite probable. Yet, the journey can be wonderful as well. The process is difficult, but the rewards are many. Life is worth the journey, and it is tolerable when the end can be seen or at least visualized.
A Family For Every Child strives to offer hope to all children in foster care. The hope we long to offer is this… “Who can mind the journey when the road leads home?” We desire that all children know the love of a family. We hope to convey to all children waiting in foster care…the road will lead you home.
“Images courtesy of { meepoohfoto and Nikolay }/FreeDigitalPhotos.net”
