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There's a Bible verse somewhere (isn't there always) about the wide and
narrow way, and how the narrow way is the right way to go. Hardest, usually,
but right. |
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We were hiking in the Arches National Park when the text imposed itself
on my mind. I had gone on ahead of my group (as we used to teach our Scouts
not to do), hoping to arrive at a certain spot to prepare for a photo opportunity.
(It was a steep rock slope that took some daring and effort to surmount). |
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I was following a dry wash with a dozen or so footprints. Like trying to
stay on the freeway when in the midst of 1,000 other cars. On I trekked,
following “cairns,” rock markers of the trail that prevent straying. |
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My trained eyes (after all, I have followed trails from my youth) followed
the tracks until they came to a divide. Half the crowd went one way. Half
the crowd another. I checked out both ways. Having been on that trail before,
neither of the trails looked familiar. |
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When uncertain, the best thing to do is stop, take a breather, pop a can
of something (in my case, tomato juice), and wait for your group. I waited…and
waited…and waited. Then I decided that they weren't coming my way. |
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I began to worry about some kind of problem. Maybe a medical emergency
turned them back. I backtracked a half mile until I met a fellow from Montana.
Had he seen anyone? No. “Let's go find them.” Like they were lost. |
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So we headed along the trail. This time, instead of watching the tracks
of those whose feet marked the wide wash, I looked for signs off to the
side. I was looking for the narrow path. |
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After a while we came to a place where a small cairn stood on a rock outcropping.
I looked up the rock, “just in case.” Sure enough, another cairn, and beyond
that a larger. That narrow path was the true trail. |
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From that point onward, forget the wide trail. Forget the footprints. Pay
attention to the stone cairns. |
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After a half hour or so, we sighted some blue garment moving in the distance.
A “Yahoo!” was rewarded with a response. We were back in contact. They
were on the path toward the “Angel.” I soon joined them, then went on to
take a photo of the marker at the foot of the gigantic stone figure named
“The Dark Angel.” The sign said, “End of the Trail.” |
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I would never have found the Angel following the wide path. I hated to
admit it, in the face of my skeptical nature, but there is truth to the
parable that suggests that the true way is often by the narrow path. I
guarantee you that it was not an easy path, but it got me back to where
my friends were, and to the destination we had in mind.
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Art Morgan, March 2000
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