By the time you and I are done with our living we have logged thousands of miles on our feet. We have walked up stairs and around corners, on sidewalks and boardwalks. We have worn out shoes delivering newspapers, walking the dog, mowing the lawn and shopping for Christmas presents. Over time most of us get pretty good at walking. We can forge ahead without looking at our feet. We can find our way to the bathroom even in the midnight dark.

What is so wonderfully amazing about all of this is that no one ever taught us how to walk. Our parents didn't sit us down as one-year olds and teach us the mechanics of becoming a hominid. They didn't drill us in the subtleties of timing: "left foot first, right foot now." We learned it on our own. It came natural to us. We made passage from the coffee table to the couch on our own two feet.

The realization of this instinctual skill didn't leave us on our own for very long, though. We stepped into a world of people ready to give us directions. Mom immediately said "no" when our left foot hovered over the top step leading to the basement. On the first fishing trip, dad said "step back" when we came too near the water's edge. The kindergarten teacher ordered us single file in front of the water fountain.

We continue to get around with the help of a bewildering array of signs. They give direction to our feet: "No Trespassing", "please stay off the grass", "you are here", "Exit", "Men", "Women", "Warning: Bear Habitat." The lesson in all of this is clear. Knowing how to walk is one thing; knowing where to walk another.

The same is true in our Christian pilgrimage. Just as nature needs nurture, human nature needs direction. We can't make it on our own. There are far too many obstacles and far too many hazards. There are missteps and mishaps. There are false trails and dead-ends. Walking in the way of the Lord is far more perilous than navigating our first three steps to the nearest pair of knees.

In the face of such risk, how do we get where we need to be? Through friends who point the way. One such friend is the Bible. "Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). Another friend is Jesus who says to us, "Follow me". Another friend is a fellow saint who will wound you with needed correction (Proverb 27:6) and then stick closer to you than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Another friend is the church, which offers the weekly reassurance of God's love and ministers His grace in Word and sacrament. Your friend might be the experience of weakness - physical illness, emotional frustration, shattered illusions, painful circumstances or a prolonged experience of loss (Romans 5:3-5). Your friend might be the strong evidence of God's glory – a dashing sunset, a brisk early morning jog, restored health, an unexpected kindness or someone's willingness to forgive your sin. These are just some of God's friends. They teach us where to walk. They point the way forward. They lead the way home.