During a vacation trip to the beach this summer I went out for an early morning run. In the distance I caught sight of a young lady running the opposite direction about 20 feet from the shore. As she neared, I noticed she was an experienced runner as evidenced by her performance apparel, sleek figure and toned muscles. She was trudging through the soft “fluffy” white sand with strenuous effort. Her legs were literally bounding off the sand, but due to the inconsistency of the terrain, she was running shockingly slow. She was soaked in sweat, red-faced and labored in breathing. As I continued to run effortlessly on the wet, flat, firmer sand I thought about all the extra effort she was exerting by choosing to run on the distinctly opposite sand. Why would anyone choose to run on that sand?

Immediately, I was struck with the parallel of our Christian walk. As Christians, fear, lack of trust and self-sufficiency too often lead us to run on sand that will inevitably wear us out prematurely. Though the white sand is visually appealing and even “feels great” to our feet, attempting to run for any length of time on it is exhausting. This sand isn’t made for running!

I know I have too often trudged through the debilitating white sand of life, choosing it instead of where Christ leads because I don’t want to get near the waves. Maybe I fear the majesty of the sea, the unpredictable tide or perhaps the temperature of the water. Running on the unpacked sand has obvious and unavoidable consequences: injury and paralyzing exhaustion. The course God desires for us to run isn’t always easy, but He is able to remove the impeding terrain and give us strength to run it well. Matthew 11:30 says: “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Our Father in heaven paves the road He has marked for each of our lives much like sand. Visualize that for a minute: gentle water creeping up the shore consistently wave after wave; thousands of sand granules being lifted up, replaced and methodologically moved to leave flawless smooth sand. God desires for us to run successfully, but we must make the choice to follow the path He has prepared for us. Only then can we fulfill His unique purpose for our life.