Trail Blazing

Learning to focus your mind and thoughts is so important! Your mind learns habits when you are young that are hard to change later.

Have you ever been in the woods? Usually it is crowded with tall trees and big bushes. Is it easier to walk on a trail, or struggle through the bushes and trees? The trail, right? That’s how it is with your mind. When you are young your mind is like a forest that is just beginning to grow. The trees and bushes are small and you can walk almost anywhere. Soon you make trails—places where you keep stepping and the plants don’t get a chance to grow. After awhile you grow up, just like the forest grows up. The trees get very tall and the bushes make it difficult to walk anywhere you want. It is much easier to stick to the trails you have made. You have to work very hard if you want to make a new trail now!

When I was young I made a bad trail. Whenever our family had worship or prayer I made a trail of thinking about something else that seemed more interesting to me. Now, when I really want to learn more about God, or keep my mind focused when other people are praying, I have to work hard to not go down my old trail. It’s so easy to do because I’ve used it for so many years. God is helping me to make a new trail of listening and focusing, but it is much harder now. I missed so much I could have learned while I let my mind wander. Teach your mind to follow good paths now because it’s so much harder later!

—An older trail blazer