my own path (a guest post by fiona)

Oh, I'm so, so, SO excited to share Fiona's words with you today. She's one of the many talented writers out there that I enjoyed from afar for a while before braving the first email. Since then, it's been even more wonderful to get to know her a little bit. Today, she writes over here rich, beautiful words about the paths that stretch out before us.  You are my competition.I stood beside you, on that starting line and we started racinglimbs still chubby with baby fat, pigtails flying you with the prettiest hair clips and the enviable my little pony collectionyou with the neatest handwriting and the most gold starsyou with all the words and the right dance moves to the newest pop song. We run and run and I push every ounce of energy into theseyoung legs just to keep up with you the one who the boys want to hang around near, jostling for attentionyou with the perfect style perfectly poised between trendy and quirkyyou with the easy straight A’s, the assurance of an Oxbridge offer. We run on, my heart beating fast now, breath coming shorterharder, but I must keep pace with you the one dating the CU president and whispers of a ringyou the tutor’s favourite, the job offers already arrivingyou with the perfect smile in church and the easy way of praying out loud. We run and we run and we run until the sweatdrips into my eyes and my chest feels likeit will explodebut I must keep up, must keep pace, must prove I can do it until The path divides and I stumble to a stopin confusion. There you run ahead on my left, a new partner to run with, baby in the sling.And there you go on my right, career reaching new heights, another promotion on the horizon.And you, heading further away, with your church speaking schedule and the book contract signed. My chest heaves with the weight of exertion and competitiona tightness creeping with the promise of tearsmy breath comes fast and shallow.Which of you am I supposed to keep up with?How can I keep pace with you all?How am I supposed to know which path to take? And then a voiceunruffled and unworriedA word spoken over my shoulderin my ear This is the way, this is your wayWalk this wayRun this pathYou will run and not grow wearyyou will walk and not be faint. I lift my tired head and see a path stretchingforward from my worn out feetan empty path, my own pathno one to jostle with compete with keep up withthis is not a racetrack, nothis is a run to enjoyevery step ofthe way. And so I take that first step. A little bit about Fiona: I'm a British woman living in Luxembourg with my Danish husband. I love celebrating, gathering people together, seeing the new friendships and plans that emerge. I love seeing people find their role in God’s big story and I'm still trying to find mine. My one word for the year is “brave,” because I don’t want to let fear be the reason I miss out on all God has for me. I blog at fionalynne.com/blog and tweet at @fiona_lynne.