By Lindsey

I had the opportunity to go on New Life Dresher’s 2017 Beach Weekend in September.

During this retreat, Jesus revealed himself to me in many new ways, one of which was in Proverbs 3:5-6, which reads: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.” These two verses are well known by most Christians, including myself. It’s one of those verses that is drilled into your head in Sunday School, like Jeremiah 29:11 or John 3:16. On this retreat, for some reason, these verses stuck out to me in a way that they never have before—specifically verse 5.

In verse 5, my version of the Bible has always said that the Lord “directs” my paths, and I interpreted that to mean that He knows the path that my life would take. It’s similar to what it says in Jeremiah 29:11, that He knows the plans He has for us. In the version that was read over the retreat, it says that the Lord “straightens” our path, not “directs” them. This showed me that Jesus doesn’t take away all of the hardships and trials that may come along on our path, but He makes them straight. He might not remove our challenges, but He gives us His strength to get through them.

I am very thankful for the time I was given to spend time in His word and strengthen my relationship with Him. I was also able to grow in my relationships with my peers. I’m looking forward to the upcoming year with the people that I’ve formed these new relationships with. I’m also thankful for the volunteer leaders that graciously give up their time to invest in us.