I stepped off the bus into the chilly midafternoon air with 38 Korean ESL students, their three sponsors and one other ESL teacher.  The head sponsor gathered everyone together for a picture in front of our destination; the historical museum. 

Our third ESL teacher, who works at the museum, acted as a tour guide for the group.  After viewing old paintings, admiring beautiful antique silver tea services, and discovering that once upon a time only the rich could afford celery and that they displayed it in tall, clear glass celery jars we exited the museum. 

The bus was parked nearby and I was ready to board it as quickly as possible to get out of the cold.  But, the students wanted to walk around the lake next to the museum.  Despite the cold, it was beautiful with the graceful swans floating across the water.  I looked longingly at the bus, but decided to do my duty and walk around the lake with the kids.  I loathed every step that took me further from the warm van and rejoiced when I reached the half-way mark and every step now took me closer to the warmth of the bus.

While choosing to walk around the lake was neither right nor wrong, my goal was the bus.  I could have chosen to walk straight to the bus, but instead I walked around the lake.  Life occasionally  has decisions like that, they are neither right nor wrong, but are they taking me further from my goal of walking every step of the day with Jesus?