Thought for the Day:
Talking with
my son, Jonathan, today I recalled the time we got “a bit disoriented” in the
woods. A number of years ago we were out
hunting with some friends in an area I’d never been before. I was told to wait 15 minutes and then walk
straight ahead (I’ll call it west) and in about a ½ mile or so we would run
into the road. I was warned that in this
area, the road to our west was the only road in the area for miles around. Everything else (north, south, and east) was
just acres and acres of woods. In other
words, pay attention to where you are going and don’t get lost.
Jon and I
waited the allotted time and then slowly began walking west according to my
compass. I usually am fairly good at
orienteering, so I was a bit confused when we had walked for some time and not
hit the road. I confirmed with Jon that
we were told to head west, took a compass bearing, and started again. Every 20-30 yards, I would check the compass
again. Yep, heading west! After a while, not only did we NOT hit the
road, we ended up back where we started from!!!
We had walked in a large circle in the woods. I’ve never done that before!
By now,
sunset was drawing closer and I was getting concerned. I really didn’t have any idea how far away
from the road we had walked and something was wrong with my compass. Fortunately about that time, I heard a vehicle
on the highway, way off in the distance.
In the woods telling direction from sound can be tricky; but we did our
best and heading in that direction. This
time I didn’t use the compass. I would
choose two distinctive terrain marks in the distance one behind the other. It is really hard to walk a straight line in
the woods. Trees, brush, sticker bushes,
fallen trees, streams and ravines get in the way. Choosing to keep two objects in line really
helps maintaining a straight course.
Right about
dusk, we finally hit the road. We had to
walk a bit to get to the truck; but we made it.
The guys we had been hunting with had been getting concerned since we were
long overdue. After I told them about
walking in a circle, they laughed as they said, “Oh, yeah! We forgot to tell you that a compass doesn’t
work in this area. There is too much
iron ore in the ground.”
So here’s my
point. You and I are on a journey--a journey we call “life.” Life has its twists and turns, ups and downs,
as well as steep climbs and treacherous descents. Some of the paths we follow are well--marked
and well-known to us. At other times we
are traveling down unfamiliar roads and it would be easy to get off the path
and lose our way. Each one of us is
heading towards a destination and sometimes it gets tough to follow the path—the
road is so rough and we are so weary.
Detours and dead-ends cause us to turn around and backtrack. Sometimes the underbrush is so dense, we
really cannot tell if we are traveling in the right direction or not. It can take all of our skill for us to keep
heading in the right direction. There
are times when the sun is shining and it’s a beautiful day and you whistle a
happy tune as you skip along. On other
days, it is gloomy and stormy and it’s hard to hold your head up and you just
want to give up.
I have no
idea what kind of path you are walking today.
All I know is what I see around me—the path that I am on. I don’t know if you are having a walk in the
park or feel like you’re on a death march.
My caution to you is to not lose sight of where you are heading. The best advice I have for you is to follow a
compass that always points true north.
Better yet, find a guide that has walked this path before and can show
you the way and be a traveling companion.
If the going is rough; it’s always better to hike with a friend and not
go it alone.
For me, I
have found God’s written word, the bible, to be a trustworthy compass. If I follow it; it will keep me on the
straight and narrow. I’ve also found
that Jesus Christ is the best guide that I can have along. Through my relationship with Him, I find encouragement,
strength, comfort, and when I need it, challenge. I’ve also met a number of other travelers along
the way who I share a part of my journey with.
I appreciate their company and whatever help they offer me as well.
As you are
on your journey; don’t lose sight of where you are headed. Don’t get sidetracked or lose focus. Keep the goal you are headed towards in mind
and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Step by step, you’ll eventually reach your
destination.
I’ve heard
that that walking the Appalachian Trail is quite an accomplishment to complete. It takes determination, grit and fortitude to
complete all 2,160 miles. Those who complete
it feel a deep satisfaction. My wish for
each of us is to face our life’s journey with the same kind of determination,
grit and fortitude. Today, just worry
about taking the next step and keep on walking towards your goal.
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