Measuring Progress

“The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.” (Psalm 121:5 NLT)

When I run, I wear a fitness watch that measures my progress. It has a built-in GPS receiver that tracks my speed and distance. On hot days, I try to run in the shade as much as possible. Unfortunately, the trees in my neighborhood are not close enough to the street to provide any relief once the sun is up. The only exception is a lone, birch tree on one of the empty lots. I look forward to this respite during every loop. Recently I discovered a spot in an adjacent neighborhood with a small stretch of road covered by a canopy of trees. I decided to run back and forth in this small segment, so I could stay in the shade. Unfortunately, my GPS watch could not measure my progress because the trees blocked the satellite signals. Remaining in the shade meant I would not receive feedback on my advancement. I couldn’t deal with that, so I went back to my usual route. 

Even though this world can be oppressively competitive, it provides us with measuring standards. We can compare and contrast ourselves with others. We can track our progress and get constant feedback. The spiritual journey provides an alternate route. It leads us through the canopy of God’s protective shade. What prevents us from staying and moving continuously in the shadow of the Almighty? We have become dependent on the external feedback we get from other human beings. We do not know how to measure our progress without these signals. We question the worthiness of our life outside the context of worldly standards. Thus, we go back to familiar routes even when we sense there is a better way.