Ancient Paths

Old trails and paths in the wilds have always been intriguing and beckon me to follow them. This sometimes leads me off course from my original intentions and has lead to a few nasty inhospitable places. Once in a while the path pulls me to a wonderland surrounded by ancient forests; a place I feel close to God as I admire his creation.

Guiding for brown bear one fall in Alaska, I came upon an old bear trail created by these large creatures over hundreds of years. The trail was about a foot wide and worn into the tundra four inches deep. The old path wasn’t just an ordinary trail as you could see the actual footprints of bears as they walked in each others prints through the years. It was a sight that I will never forget and I remember reaching down and running me hands over the worn footprints. This trail had been handed down from generation to generation by the great beasts as they traveled from a brushy lake bottom to this high pass between two mountain ranges. It was a road map of life for the bears.

As men, we often don’t have such a path of life to follow. Broken homes and fathers too busy working to pass on life lessons are taking a toll on men everywhere. If our own fathers didn’t take time to teach us important steps of life and share closeness, we may think God doesn’t care either. Men and boys desperately need a marked trail, not more rules, formulas, or another list of principles.

Even if you were fortunate like I was to have a father and grandfather to guide me on the trail, we still need guidance from our Heavenly Father to make it through life. God intended that in the Garden before Satan entered the scene and told the universal lie that God doesn’t care about us and he is holding back on us. God developed us for an intimate relationship. Jesus death on the cross opened us the opportunity to walk with God personally. Unfortunately, many churches want men to engage in another class or boring program that is about as exciting as going to the dentist. Men need challenged and engaged in real life situations in their community. Guys do best in small platoons or band of brothers because we are in a war and too many men become casualties without someone to guard their back. I’m blessed to have a great group of men to help me grow and fight the battles.


God is waiting to show all of us the ancient path that leads to a peace this world doesn’t know. I suggest men read some of John Eldredge’s books like Wild At Heart, Way of The Wild Heart, Fathered by God, and Epic. Read and study them with some other guys. Remember, it is important which path you take and where it goes.