Tracks

One of my favorite things to do in the morning when we are at the beach in Costa Rica is to scan the beach to see who visited the night before. Sometimes there are remains of a campsite, spinning circles of dog tracks, four-pronged bird tracks, flip-flop imprints and bare feet marks. And sometimes the distinctive skooch marks of an ocean turtle come ashore to lay eggs. Each track represents a past event but distinctly identifies that event. Sometimes there are tracks I’m uncertain exactly what the heck happened. But something did.

As I look back over my life there are distinct tracks from events in my life that tell a story often related to where I am now in my life. Sometimes I can tie the track to an event, sometimes not. Often when I can, it helps me identify why a turning point occurred.

Some of my most significant turning points are related to those Spirit given moments when, for example, I actually got the whole grace of God thing! Or at least started to. And sometimes there is just a quiet little track where insight came.

If I can see tracks in others lives, it helps me understand sometimes why they react the way they do. Not always. But sometimes.

God winks are often only seen in retrospect, in the tracks left behind in our lives or the lives of others. They help us understand and remind us that He never leaves us nor forsakes us.