Chapter 33 – Mission Tracks

Good Shepherd Leads

Psalm 25:4-5

“Shew me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me: for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.”

Proverbs 4:25-27

“Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.”

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

“Woooooooot… Wooo-whoooooot…!” The steam locomotive whistled off in the distance as it headed in to the quaint little depot station in a town called Ely, Nevada. We had chosen to stay there on a few of our road trips because it was a little remote town tucked in between a few rolling hills and open land and nicely situated for travel; it was just the right place to snuggle in overnight.

It was a cool breezy afternoon in early autumn that we had decided to take a small tour with Kaiyah and explore some of the area. We found a few really pretty parks tucked in between homes and noted some nice little mom and pop places to eat and shop for future reference. The main attraction, for me, was the railroad station and museum. Sitting almost at the center edge of town down a small side road, one might miss it if you weren’t looking or listening. Established in 1905, the Nevada Northern Railway was built to bolster the roaring copper mining industry in the area.

I found that station in East Ely to be the best little untouched and preserved train station I had visited. And the old steam iron horse was my favorite and a fantastically maintained piece of history and machinery. Peter and I were really excited that we were able to visit the museum on one of our trips prior. There was lot more information there than we could experience on just one visit. They even had a resident kitty who was obviously much at home with the all the goings and comings.

My Pops had loved trains. He had his own engineers cap and shared many a story about them. He had ridden on many for travel and even had a boyhood dream of working with the railroad. I learned an appreciation for them from him and personally had my own genuine enjoyment for early designs and engineering and their history. I was happy when I learned that my father-in-law also really liked them. The way they move, sound and are maintained still amaze me and that spot in Ely was an extra special discovery.

Kaiyah had taught me something about herself on a few of my travels especially when it came to finding railroad tracks. She loved them! Every time we would discover them she just had to explore, and so did I. Her gait seemed to be just right for making her way down them. I often wondered what she was thinking about while she ambled her way along. She seemed in another frame of mind looking with intense focus into the distance ahead or behind her and then continuing on with determination to reach whatever was at the end of the line.

Each time we could only go so far before having to turn around. She didn’t like that too much for some reason. Thinking about that reminds me of the Passage from Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.” Sometimes He will have to course correct us if we are willing to be corrected. She wanted to go forward into the direction of her nose and that was that. I don’t know if that was her husky sled dog mindset or a genuine interest to work her way to discovering what lay ahead, but much like her mission hikes those were her mission tracks. Whatever that leading was it was strong in her.

I could empathize as I often shared the same pull to see where the tracks would lead. That interest started when I was a young girl growing up in a small town that had trains running through what was then the center of town. I was told to always be careful and to not be on or near them when the trains could be heard coming in the distance. I could spend hours waving at them going by, imagining what was just around the bend, racing them on my bike from the parallel streets, and seeing the cars sometimes waiting to be coupled to the passing freight train. It was good times.

On that particular trip we did a little walking and some drive-bys. It was on one of the drive-bys that I noticed there was an area not too far that had a short run of tracks we could reach so we made our way down the road and parked. The wind had picked up and was rather blustery. Kaiyah hopped out of the SUV and took a good look around and almost immediately noticed the tracks running parallel to where we were. It didn’t take long for us to reach the roadbed. Once we got there Kaiyah thoroughly scanned the area. She looked up into the sky, then way to the left, shorter visual distance with the depot in sight, then turned her head and looked to the right with an end-point that was unseen as it gently curved into the horizon. She quickly got on those railroad ties, also known as sleepers, and placed herself in the middle and started chugging straight in the direction with the unseen end-point.

We went for a little while but the winds became quite cold and although Kaiyah was “dressed” for that I was not. In addition the trains were still running so I had to pull us off and back toward where we had parked. The timing was good as I had chilly bumps all over and I could hear the whistles getting louder. Kaiyah was disappointed with the turn around, which I knew she would be, but we had to do it. After taking in that incredible view of open land and railway one more time she shook herself off a few times and then hopped in the back of the SUV. She looked at me a bit forlorn but she was invigorated by the experience and the cold. I gave her a really big hug and thanked her once again for being such a good girl. Kaiyah watched with wonder as she stood looking out the big back window of the SUV as the great metal “beast” traveled along the very tracks she had desired to traverse.  We started on our way with the cold winds blowing and the rhythmic clacking sounds of the shiny black old iron horse filling the air. With its billowing plume of smoke coming out of its pipe, it steadily crawled its way back to its whistle stop, “woooooot-wooooooooot!” It was a sight and sound that warmed the heart and stirred nostalgia of another time.

When considering how important timing is when wanting to do anything, especially of considerable importance, I’ve learned I can’t always just see where I would like to go and then just start chugging toward it even if everything in me wants to do it. There are many things that must be taken into consideration, and most importantly for me, asking The Lord if it was His Will and then waiting for His answer and His Peaceful Certainty. Waiting and listening, sometimes that takes a long time but it is far better to do so than to head down the tracks at the wrong time, in the wrong direction or even worse they are altogether the wrong ones to be on in addition to being potentially fatally dangerous. Kaiyah had a strong sense of direction and incredible determination but she didn’t know many things about traveling along the sleepers and what may lie ahead even if the horizon seemed to bend gently.

So it is with our journey in this life. How many times has The Lord had to stop me, or would lead me for a bit to experience or be present for something at a specific time and place and then turn me right around even if I didn’t want to go just yet. He may just want to show me something far greater outside what I could handle at the time yet allowed me to learn difficult lessons or to enjoy the adventure of knowing there was much more ahead but the greater portion of it was for another time; those usually leave me a bit overwhelmed. He has His reasons and His thoughts and ways are way beyond mine. Even with all the vast number of instructions to be learned; the bottom line for me is to know how much He loves us and wants us to trust Him and to go where and when He goes or stays.

Learning the heart and ways of the Good Shepherd, Jesus, is vital. Thank God for His Word and for Holy Spirit. That is how He leads His People if we would but listen, learn, love, obey and follow Him. It is very beautiful to me that God wants to personally lead our steps and be right by us all the way. I pray I faithfully, in every way, follow Him, wherever my Shepherd, the Lamb of God, goes. As Revelation 14:4 exhorts that is what the redeemed should do. I want my life to be filled with one large running set of mission tracks and for His Glory!

Kaiyah was a wonderful soft furry illustration with her focus, determination and love of mission hikes and mission tracks, and her willing obedience to wait, stop, and change course, even if she wasn’t wanting too, but the rewards for her trust were many including her safety and well being!

…Until we meet again…