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U.S. Highway 1 connects Key West, Florida to the Canadian border in Fort Kent, Maine. Constructed in 1926, this highway takes travelers along the east coast for 2,369 miles.

Also in 1926, U.S. Route 66 was constructed. It began in Chicago and took travelers out west to Los Angeles, a distance of approximately 2,400 miles.

Known as the “footpath for the people,” the Appalachian Trail runs from Springer Mountain, GA to Mount Katahdin in Maine. It follows the Appalachian mountain range through 14 states, a distance of 2,180 miles.

The Appalachian Trail was built by private citizens and organizations, along with the Civilian Conservation Corp and was completed in 1937. The trail is managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers.

Traveling the Appalachian Trail takes hikers up hills and over mountains. Flat sections are said to be few and far between. It’s been described as America’s most famous long-distance footpath.

I recently read about the World’s Longest Continuous Walk. It begins in Cape Town, South Africa and ends in Magadan (Russia), a distance of 13,910 miles. Along the route, you would walk through 17 countries, six time zones, and all seasons of the year. Google Maps estimates it would take 4,492 hours to walk it, which translates into 187 days of non-stop walking. If you decided to walk eight hours a day, it would take 563 days to complete the entire walk.

In recent years, I’ve participated in a faith-based running and walking group called “Run for God.” Doing the “couch to 5K” training prepared me to run several 5K races. And, I’ve also walked several 5K races. A 5K equals 3.1 miles. I cannot imagine running or walking a half marathon (13.1 miles) or a marathon (26.2 miles). What I learned from participating in these 5K races is that it’s not about how fast I can run or walk. It’s about crossing the finish line. I can’t tell you the great feeling – as I neared the finish line – to hear friends who had completed the course before me cheering me on.

We are all traveling the road called life. It requires putting one foot in front of the other. As someone once said, “It’s your road and you alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.” We can only take one step at a time and we do not know where our earthly journey will end.

Spiritually speaking, Jesus taught that we will follow one of two roads – a wide road to destruction or a narrow road to life. He said, “…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 NIV).

Which of these two roads are you traveling? Our decisions day to day will impact where we find ourselves along the road of life. And there is a decision required that will determine our ultimate destiny.  Be intentional about that decision.

— Jan White has compiled a collection of her columns in her book, “Everyday Faith for Daily Life.”