Are You Wandering in the Jungle? Grab a machete and start chopping away the obstacles!

Several years ago we visited the beautiful country of Costa Rica. One of the places we went was the rainforest. It was so amazing to see. I went there hoping to see all the various animals that live there. Monkeys, parrots, sloths, etc…. We rode an air tram that rides high above the rainforest on a wire. You are hundreds of feet in the air and can see for miles all the vegetation below. We saw trees and plants that don’t live anywhere else in the world. We saw a lot of water and of course it rained the entire trip. We did not however, see one animal! Not even a bird! The vegetation is so thick, it would be impossible to navigate without a path that had been cut previously. They told us a plane had gone down in the rainforest in the 1950s and it has never been found! I do not like heights and I was definitely a little scared on that incredibly high air tram. I was relieved to be back on solid ground. When we walked back to the parking lot we saw a macaw on a bench! The one and only animal we saw that day!  Later in our trip we saw an entire group of monkeys playing in the trees by the road.

Many of the rainforests are surrounded by thick jungle. I remember thinking about how terrifying it would be to be lost in that jungle. Sometimes I feel like I’m trying to find my way out of the jungle right here! This life can be just like a tangled, unforgiving jungle. Sometimes we are just grasping for a vine like Tarzan used, to escape to the other side of our trial. The Lord doesn’t always provide an easy exit like that vine provided. Sometimes he wants us to get out our machete and cut our way through the thick jungle of doubts, disappointments, despair, discouragement and walk that path that leads to victory. It would be so much easier to grab that Tarzan vine and swing over all the obstacles for sure. When we have to face those obstacles though is when real character is built. When this life is over, only our character remains. We don’t get another chance to live this life a different way. We are making choices everyday that reflect the character we possess.

God has given us a compass and a map to navigate this jungle we live in. He has provided not only His written word that answers our questions but He has provided His spirit that leads and guides us in our daily decisions. Everyday I am faced with new challenges, new health issues, a never ending list of problems. Everyday I also have access to the answers I’m seeking and the comfort of my Heavenly Father providing all of my needs.

They say the rainforests have millions of undiscovered plants and animals. I believe the Lord has many things in His word for us to discover and implement in our lives.