Week Thirty: Pathways to God. July 23 – The Path with a Heart
When you walk with love, every step is the path with a heart. Thich Nhat Hanh
Gregg’s Reflection
Just as there are many trails up a mountain, there are many pathways to God. Finding that path is critical to each of us finding what is ours to do in this world. Pray God shows you yours.
As I look back over my own life, I see that not all paths are created equal. Some roads I pursued were driven by ambition, fear, or a sense of obligation, and while they taught me lessons, they left me restless and weary. Other paths—the ones where I sensed God’s quiet invitation—have led to joy, freedom, and peace, even when they were costly or uncertain.
In my tour of world religions before I came to Christ, I was particularly intrigued by the spiritual path described in The Teachings of Don Juan. The anthropologist Carlos Castaneda records Don Juan’s advice: “Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use.” For me, this resonates with Jesus’ invitation to follow him. His way is not always easy, but it is marked by love, integrity, and an aliveness that cannot be manufactured. When I chose the path of significance over success, or presence over productivity, I was choosing the path with a heart.
The path with a heart is not found by logic alone; it’s discerned through prayer, silence, and the gentle tug of the Spirit. It shows itself in synchronicities, in conversations that confirm what God is already whispering, and in the peace that lingers even when the way forward is unclear. To walk such a path is to trust that God is already there, beckoning us forward. For years, I would stumble across the path in my searching, and the experiences made me know I was on the ‘path with a heart.’
Scripture
Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.
Jeremiah 6:16
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13–14
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 paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5–6
Ancient Quotes
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.
Heraclitus
The whole life of the good Christian is a holy longing. What you desire ardently, as yet you do not see; but by longing, you are made capable, so that when He comes you may be filled.
Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John, 4.6
Modern Quotes
Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn’t, it is of no use.
Don Juan, recorded by Carlos Castaneda, The Teachings of Don Juan
Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.
Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
When you walk with love, every step is the path with a heart.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step
The heart is the compass of the soul. When it points toward love, you can be sure you are on the right path.
Richard Rohr, Falling Upward, p. 142
Journaling Prompts
- When have you walked a path that drained your spirit, even if it looked “successful”?
- What moments in your life felt like invitations onto the path with a heart?
- How do you discern whether a path is Spirit-led or ego-driven?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 30 Reflection: Pathways to God