The Path.

I've been thinking about something lately.

And it's been pretty deep, and pretty profound.

I realized I've been on a path the past few years, and I'm now starting to see where that path has led me.

Although sometimes that path looked like that path in the picture--I couldn't see very far ahead.

But as I've followed this path anyway, it has led me to some pretty amazing things.

Here's how this path has progressed:

• I think this path started way back on October 23, 1998. That's the day I started running. 
• While training for a marathon two years later I had some knee problems, and that was pretty frustrating.
• To try and figure out what was going on with the knee problems that year and for a few years to come, I read lots of books, and visited several doctors, physical therapists, and one awesome exercise physiologist. We figured out, finally, that I toe off in an "interesting" way, and that, coupled with my high arches, caused the knee problems.
• All this made me want to go back to school and become something related to Exercise Physiology and Nutrition so I could help others not only with nutrition and fitness (I've always been really interested in nutrition), but with problems like I had (and do still have from time to time). I looked into a brand new program at a college close to our house in Florida, and even took the prerequisite tests and registered. Then we found out we were moving to Arizona. And I was very sad.
• About a year after we moved to Arizona I got those "feelings" (promptings), again, that I needed to go back to school and fulfill this dream. I looked around and found a Personal Trainer Certification program at a local community college. I know I was led to find this program. I. was. so. excited! I signed up and started that fall. It was awesome!
• I loved my classes! After I completed my certification, I started my own personal training business, and learned a lot through that process. And I got to work with some amazing ladies who changed my life. I hope I was able to help them reach their health and fitness goals too.
• About three years later, due to a promotion for John which involved cross-country travel again, and with the hope to keep at least one of us less-stressed, I felt that I should close my business. I was sad to do this, but knew it was the right thing to do. I still used my certification to help my kids, ladies in my running group and at church, and to answer questions that I was often asked.
• Fast forward a couple of years. I had the very strong prompting that I needed to go back to school and finish my Bachelor's degree. It was a crazy time of life--I was teaching early morning seminary, John was traveling a lot, Zach was on a mission, and Kam was getting ready to go to college, so spending the money to also send me back to school didn't really make much sense. But I followed the promptings anyway and within a couple of weeks I was registered. Kam and I started school together that September.
• I chose to do a minor in English, not only because I've always loved reading and writing, but because I felt like that was what I was supposed to do.
• We went to Florida with John in June 2011, and one morning I was running on my favorite trail. While running, I had the distinct impression that I needed to start the blog I'd been thinking about for a few months. So I started it that day. You can read that very first post here.  
• Fast forward a few years. Last summer I had a huge tender mercy. You can read about it here. But basically my whole set of educational plans changed. In one morning. I guess you can say my path took an abrupt and surprising turn, and all of a sudden everything was different. Within a couple of weeks things changed, again, and my path took another sudden and unexpected turn as I realized that with a couple of crazy semesters I could walk in graduation with my kids! I thought that was the main reason for the change in my path, and it was a huge reason. But I've come to see that it was not the only reason.
• A few weeks before graduation I kept having the distinct prompting to get in contact with a friend of mine who had talked to me at the beginning of Crazy Semester #1 about doing some writing. At the time, I just couldn't do it. She told me when I was ready to let her know. So one morning I messaged her on facebook to see if she had any work for me, as I was getting ready to graduate and wanted some work to do post-graduation to add to our savings and hopefully move up our retirement date a bit. :o) She messaged back pretty quickly that yes, she wanted me to write and she had actually been thinking about contacting me! She had told me way back when I started my blog that she really liked it, and that she really liked my writing style (go figure!). My lil' ole blog, where I share my family's history and other random things, was part of why I got this new job! And I was so thankful I'd followed those promptings to start my blog and then message my friend. I now have a job I love, that I can do from home, that allows me to use my writing and research skills (see, that English minor was part of a larger plan!), as well as my personal training knowledge, and that also allows me to add to our family's savings. It's pretty perfect!

So looking back, I've been able to see where this path has taken me. And I'm pretty sure I'm not at the end of this path.

I've also learned to have faith, follow promptings, and take a step into the darkness when I can't see the end of the path or where it's leading.

Because I've also learned that the Lord has a great path for me to follow, and his path is way better than any path I might have planned for myself.

And to me, that is very humbling and totally awesome. 

At the same time.

*Image courtesy of Microsoft Clipart