The Tracks In My Head
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“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.” I Peter 5:6-7
I saw the tracks in the parking lot where the workers had walked through the concrete dust. It looked like they had sprayed off their equipment and then walked through the water. They left their tracks. In the winter, I see tracks through the snow from animals that cross my running path. I walked across my vinyl floor and left wet footprints because my socks were wet from my morning run. These are all visible tracks that usually clean up with some soap and water or melting snow.
We see railroad tracks that lead somewhere down the line and are permanent. They are straight and the train that runs on them does not deviate from the rail unless an obstacle or engine failure cause it to jump the tracks. The tracks go in different directions but connect so that the train can transfer tracks. We have racetracks where people, cars, tractors, motorcycles and a variety of other types of vehicles go round and round with the purpose of winning a race. There are lots of different types of tracks in the world.
A track can also be a direction. For example, a person can be on track to graduate or for a job promotion. There are many definitions for tracks. As I was running my well-worn path this past week, I was thinking about all the tracks that are in our heads. We may have a well-worn track of worry and anxiety. It is easy to jump on this track when something goes wrong , or we are afraid for the future. We have tracks that focus on schedules, deadlines, tasks, and the overwhelming details of life. We have tracks that focus on the future and all the possible outcomes. We have tracks that think and worry about family, friends, loved ones, and how to fix their lives. We have tracks of grief, and we tend to slow down on this journey to remember and linger in the memories. All these tracks or paths in our heads are well-worn and can easily consume and become the focus of life. Some paths we just keep jumping back on, and it feels like we are going in circles.
Is there a common track that runs through everything in your head - a track that keeps you from going in the wrong direction or being consumed by the negativity and struggles of life? Can you pull yourself off a path that leads to worry, anxiety, or depression – a thought path that focuses on the things of this world that do not really matter? I believe the track that we desire is the straight and constant path of God’s Presence.
My head can get pretty complex with all my thoughts, and if I could draw what is in my head it would be a jumbled mess of tracks crossing over each other with some going nowhere and some with an abrupt end. Some are well-worn because I go over and over them continuously. Come on, you have to admit those thought patterns in your head can be mixed up, not defined, and feel like they are not going anywhere with purpose.
My desire is that every track of thought would run through God’s track. That is, I would include God in each thought. When my mind wanders and I feel lost, anxious or just not myself, I have come to realize these feelings remind me I forgot to include God in my thoughts.
God calls us to humble ourselves and admit that we cannot stay focused on the right track of life without him. Get on track with God and allow God to set the pace and the timing. It is giving God all the anxieties knowing He cares for you and me. God wants to be part of every thought, step, direction, and plan of our lives. When we get on track in our heads with God, we begin to trust God, seek His guidance, and rely on His peace and comfort. I am trying not to get ahead of God but to slow down my thoughts and stay on the track of today.
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