wisdom in the shoes of another

I gained new wisdom this week:

My so called wisdom works for me and no one else! Just when I think I have life all figured out, I find out I must have stepped off the path and into a blackberry bush.

I encountered the worn shoes of another soul. They were the everyday shoes of one who treads a different path than the one I am on. I slid my feet into them and attempted to take a few steps. They were so uncomfortable, the inside of the shoe was form fitted for the owner after hours and hours of wear. My wise rules of life refused to work in these shoes.

The pace we use on our personal road is ours alone. This realization (which I have always known in my head) will now keep me from judging the walk of others. That includes their gait and the journey they are on.

It is bittersweet that we all walk alone. No one else can step into our shoes, no one else can know our individual journey. Yet, these solitary strides are guided by the wisdom of a God who watches over us, loves us through, catches us when we let Him.