Forging new paths, by Nicki Copeland

I’ve enjoyed a number of walks at a local nature reserve in recent weeks. They’ve given me headspace, opportunities to process my thoughts and time for God to speak to me.

There are a number of well-worn paths through the grass, and on days when there aren’t many people around I tend to stick to those. However, on busy days, I find myself walking through the longer grass, creating new pathways in order to maintain a suitable distance from other people.

Establishing new pathways can make us nervous. Long grass and plant clumps can make the ground uneven to walk on. There may be hidden rabbit holes or lumps of earth that could cause us to stumble. Perhaps there are little creatures hiding in the longer grass, ready and waiting to nibble at our ankles. Stinging nettles or thorns can leave us with rashes or grazes, causing discomfort and itching.

It’s so much easier to stick to the trodden-in pathways. Other people have gone before us and have made a way for us, and we simply follow without thinking too much about it. It’s just what we do.

I believe God is on the move during these strange and unfamiliar times, and part of his message to his church appears to be about forging new paths. Some of this is already happening – church has gone online, as have prayer and other meetings. We’re finding new and creative ways to do fellowship and discipleship. For many of us these are new paths, and there are numerous rabbit holes, nettles and bumps in the ground that could cause us to stumble.

At times when we’re forced to walk new ground, does it make a difference to our writing? I confess that at times recently I’ve found it very difficult to find any kind of inspiration. My walks have helped me to focus on my thoughts and feelings, and to hear what I believe God might be saying to me.

Perhaps more than ever, I believe we need to be honest with one another at the moment. As I share my own thoughts and experiences, I am discovering that God is saying similar things to other people, or what I believe he has said to me has encouraged someone else who is going through a similar situation.

The temptation during lockdown (darn it, I was determined to write this post without using either that word or the word ‘unprecedented’) is to self-isolate emotionally as well as physically. It’s a temptation we must resist. The enemy’s strategy is to divide and conquer. This is why it’s so encouraging to see how the church is drawing together in such new and creative ways at the moment.

The paths might be new, but the destination is still the same: to share the gospel with a broken and hurting world. How can we forge new paths in our writing at this time, to share the message God has given us?

Nicki Copeland is a freelance writer, speaker, copy editor and proofreader – and loves anything to do with words. She is the author of Losing the Fig Leaf and Less than Ordinary? She is also responsible for the day-to-day running of Instant Apostle publishers. When she has the luxury of some free time, she can invariably be found with a book in one hand and some chocolate in the other.