1. Divide the players into two lines, facing each other. Make sure they stretch their arms out so they can touch the other lines’ hands.
2. Choose one player at a time to run between the lines. The runner should start from the front of one line and go all the way to the end of the other line.
3. Here’s the twist: The runner must be blindfolded. You can use three socks tied together as a blindfold or ask them to simply close their eyes.
4. Safety first: Have a coach or supervisor stand at the end of the lines. Their job is to stop the runner when they finish the run, ensuring everyone’s safety.
5. It’s important for the players in line to understand that are not to touch the runner, UNLESS the runner starts to veer off course, they should gently guide the runner back into line.
6. Designate one player to be the runner for each round. They’ll start at one end and finish at the other, guided by their fellow players’ voices and support.

THE CIRCUMSTANCE (Exodus 13:21-22; Deuteronomy 2:1-16; 8:2-3) 
In a time of history, the children of Israel found themselves in a vast desert. A journey lay ahead, a journey that the people knew would hold both great hardships and promises of great joy. This journey began on a date known only to God. It was a journey of a people—men, women, and children—united by their families, a shared history, and a future serving God. They were God’s chosen people, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They had been captives in the land of Egypt, but now, freedom to them. As they embarked on this journey, they found themselves led by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The cloud and the fire were more than mere elements of nature that displayed God’s presence. Surrounded by the harsh landscape, these pillars became symbols of hope and guidance, a reminder that they were not alone, God was with them. Day by day, they followed the cloud, and by night, they were bathed in the comforting glow of the fire.

THE CHOICE (Deuteronomy 8:2-3 ESV) 
Within the heart of this history are choices they must make. Choices that would test their faith and reveal their character. As they journeyed, the Israelites faced moments of doubt and uncertainty. They questioned the path they were on, wondering if the desert was going to be their life from now on. In those moments, they stood at a crossroads with many choices before them and decisions to make. In the midst of the wilderness, where the unknown stretched far and wide, they faced many questions. Could they trust the cloud that guided them, even when it led them through the desert? Could they find contentment in the provision of manna, the heavenly bread that fed them daily? These questions are similar to questions we often face today, like questions of faith, and finding joy in difficult times. Deuteronomy 8:2-3 (ESV), states: “And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”

THE CONSEQUENCE (Exodus 13:21-22; Deuteronomy 2:1-16) 
Their choices bore consequences, as choices often do. Some among them, burdened by doubt, questioned the wisdom of their journey. They longed for the familiarity of Egypt, despite its chains. These individuals turned away from the promise and hope that lay ahead, and their consequence was wandering in the desert for 40 more years. But then, there were those who embraced faith and hope. They chose to follow the guiding cloud, to trust in the unseen hand of God that led them. Their consequence was a journey to the land flowing with milk and honey, a land of promise fulfilled. Through the trials of the desert, they learned to trust in God’s faithfulness in caring and providing for them. In the end, their journey was more than a physical passage. It was a journey of the heart, a journey that transformed a people. While all of the choices made the good and bad choices, one thing remained constant—the presence of God, guiding, leading, and loving His people.

THE LIFE LESSON
And so, as we journey through our own deserts, facing choices and consequences, may we find our hearts anchored in faith. May we trust in the unseen hand that guides us, and may we discover the beauty of God’s promises fulfilled in unexpected places.