GOD & TEXAS: Lost in Texas

When the early pioneers came to Texas, it was easy to get lost. From the east Texas Piney Woods to the mountains of west Texas, there were no directional road signs or interstate markers. The marshes of the Gulf coast were as difficult to navigate as the tall grass in the Staked Plains of the Panhandle.  

In the 1530s, the Spanish explorers occasionally relied on directions given by the native Americans. The explorers either traveled along creeks and rivers, or walked the trails itinerant tribes had used for hundreds of years. 

Nomadic groups had originated several unique techniques for marking trails. One of the most common navigational aids were marker trees that pointed to water sources, hunting grounds, or burial sites. They would bend or twist saplings to face in the direction that would be helpful to those who came later. 

As settlers arrived from the United States, they learned to follow the trails, too. But they also established their own markings that would guide those who came later. Land was often surveyed by using a compass or measurements like a cigarette’s length or a half day’s walk. Directional aids on pathways were sometimes provided by notching trees with axes.

One of the most traveled roadways was the Camino Real, also known as Old San Antonio Road, or the Kings Highway. This important road loosely stretched from Eagle Pass to Natchitoches, Louisiana. It was not a single road, but a network of trails and feeder paths that branched off the more traveled areas. 

Because there were no road signs, settlers found their way by observing topographical features like lakes, springs, or clusters of trees. This could be very confusing in poor weather or at night. To provide better directions, in 1918, the State of Texas placed granite monuments every five miles along the route. Some of those markers remain today.

In the 21st Century, Texas highways have electronic signs that alert drivers to traffic congestion, weather changes, and critical emergency information in real time. Many drivers have cell phone apps that provide complex directions and the quicker routes. We can thank those who blazed the trail before us for these conveniences.

In some ways, those who go before us have responsibility to those who follow. Good leaders leave footprints. Bad leaders leave a disorder. Good leaders leave a mark. Bad leaders leave a wound. Good leaders show the way. Bad leaders obstruct the path forward.

The Bible provides the roadmap we need for a successful life. Christ has walked our dusty roads and has shown us the way to Eternal Life.  Jesus said in John 10:27 ESV, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” As we faithfully follow Christ, we will never get lost. 

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