The Rule of the Path

Nora,
I have something wieghing quite heavily on my heart right now and am spending a lot of time thinking, praying and looking for ideas...

Last week in church we learned about The Rule of The Path - basically, when you have an end result, you will not get there - no matter how hard you try or how much you want to - unless you are on the right path. For example: if you want to go to Florida, you CANNOT get there by driving north on I294. This is just fact. It is.

The problem is, that many times the path is hard and there is much temptation to find a new, better, faster, easier one. But those aren't the right paths to get to your desired goal.

What does all of this have to do with you?

Nora, Daddy and I have chosen a very hard path for our family. It is difficult for us and we're grown ups. You (and your sisters) did not get a choice on what path you take right now - you are on our path. We believe with our whole hearts that we're on the right path for ourselves and our family. But its hard. And I know its going to be a hard one for you girls - I already see the difficulty presenting itself in your young life.

My heart is heavy for you because I know you will experience pain because of our family's path. You will be misunderstood, feel left out, struggle between knowing the right path vs. wanting to follow a friend's path. I am feeling all of this myself, but I'm the one choosing the path. You are not.

Nora, I know we're on the right path no matter how hard it is for me and how much pain it causes you girls. My prayer is that Daddy and I will somehow be able to equip you with the self-esteem and confidence that you'll need to travel this path. We are discussing how to do this. I want you to know that we don't take this lightly or believe that you just need to figure it out on your own. We love you and are so proud of who you are. We are trying our hardest to help you become the woman God desires you to be.

I know its going to be hard, but if you trust us, you'll really enjoy our end goal! Ultimately it comes down to this:

Steadily trust in God

Hope Unswervingly

Love Extravagantly

We're learning these things together. I promise not to abandon you on the path.