Walking by Faith One Day at a TimeSample

Figure Eights

When I was a kid, I loved to watch figure skating during the winter Olympic games. The skaters would effortlessly glide across the ice, elegantly performing twists, turns, jumps, and figure eights.

Once in a while, it was cold enough for the lake to freeze, providing the perfect opportunity for my friends and me to practice our own maneuvers on the ice. Unfortunately, the only skill that we somewhat mastered was the infamous figure eight.

"I wish the only direction existing for a Christian was onward to maturity, but unfortunately some of our footprints in the sand look a lot like figure eights." ~Beth Moore

As I look back over my life, impressions of a few figure-eight patterns remain on the surface of my spiritual journey. I try hard to move steadily forward, but sometimes, I find myself circling back towards old patterns of behavior or attitudes that I thought were put to rest long ago. It is during these times that I suddenly realize I'm not as far along on this spiritual journey as I thought.

What about you? Do you notice any figure eight patterns developing in your walk with God?

Figure eight patterns belong on the ice, not on our journey with God.

Life Application

If your faith journey could be seen from above, what is the most prominent pattern people would see?

Prayer

Father God, thank you for your grace when I circle back around to old behaviors, thoughts, or ways. I know this walk with you is a journey, and therefore, sometimes I get lost or lose my way. When that happens, please help me to quickly get back on the straight and narrow path, because it always leads to abundant life with you.