One pierce by the painful thorny ball is all that is necessary to compel one to obsessively avoid the weeds that bear them. Normally the plants are easy to see with all the stickers menacingly hanging or dropped. To steer clear of the patches of these hateful bushes, I aim for the  sandy area that looks clear to me. I casually walk on, enjoying the lovely lake view until I notice one of the dogs limping. I quickly examine her paws and find one of those sharp stickers. I try to carefully remove it but it cuts into my flesh. Dang and ouch! I look at the ground and to my surprise there are tons of the stickers right below the sand, barely covered, even though there are no bushes in sight. I am finally able to maneuver us to a harmless stretch. And I am, of course, struck by the spiritual parallel. How often do I rely upon my own view, assessment, understanding of the many issues I confront daily? How often do I neglect to ask You which is the way I should walk? How often do I appraise the various paths/choices and choose the ones that makes sense to me? TOO OFTEN! And just like the stickers that were not apparent to me, so hidden are the many threats and dangers that I am not capable of discerning on my own.  I desire to truly listen to the guidance You offer. To listen to the Voice behind me that says, “Here is the way. Walk ye in it.” I long to surrender my thoughts to You, to quiet the loudness of my own thinking. I want to walk by faith not by sight! And as is true of every bit of transformation, I can’t do it on my own!! Holy Spirit, please blaze in and have full authority over my walk.