I had traveled many hours to access ATV trails with my dad, yet I was repeatedly surprised when people from the area said, “I’ve heard the trails are good. I’ve never been on them.”

What? You live this close to something so beautiful and fun, and you haven’t accessed it?

Of course, I don’t know why. They might be too busy catering to all of us out-of-staters who come off the trails hungry and tired and ready to pour money into local economies that have little income other than anything the recreational trails bring to them. They might not have easy access to the ATVs or snowmobiles. They might not care. Or, they might take them for granted.

We all do that, don’t we? Take things for granted that are easily accessible? Just because it’s available doesn’t mean we experience it. That’s not always a bad thing, because we avoid some not-so-great things. But what about the things we miss out on, especially the beauty and worship of God’s creation, the generosity and struggles of people, the sacrifice and pain of service? We can’t keep setting things aside because we think we have more time, more opportunity, more options, more important things to do. We might, but are we sure?

Sometimes, we sacrifice something for someone else. We encourage them to participate by what we do. We support them. We don’t get to do the same thing they do, but it’s okay. It’s not our role at that point. Our role is to do something else and be supportive every step of the way. Our path helps someone else on their path.

Look around. What (or who) does God want you to notice? What does He want you to experience? What trail are you avoiding that He has put right in front of you…to enjoy, overcome, survive, or explore? How are you supporting others by your sacrifice? Trust His provision and timing. It’s better than anything else you think you need to do.