Questions For A Wandering Soul

Ever feel lost?

Yeah, me too. Happens a lot. And not just when I’m riding my bike.

Yesterday I talked about maps and compasses and my affinity for turn-by-turn directions. If I’d had Bertha the GPS lady along on the Mississippi River ride, perhaps there would have been fewer wrong turns and panicked calls from Becky.

When we’re lost, it’s tempting to ask WHY? Why am I lost? Why did I get myself into this mess? But here’s a hard truth:

When you’re lost, WHY? doesn’t matter.

In fact, WHY? is one of the enemy’s biggest weapons. As long as he can keep you focused on wondering why you’re lost, you won’t be working on getting un-lost. And when you’re lost, getting un-lost is really what matters.

A wandering soul (most of us) confronts at some point these four questions:

1. Where’s “here”? (Where am I right now?)
2. Where’s “there”? (Where do I want to go?)
3. How do I get “there” from “here”?
4. Which way should I go? (What’s the first step?)

Depending on circumstances, a map might be some help with #1. It can’t help at all with #2.

A map’s most useful for the last two questions, but only if you know the answers to the first two. If you don’t at least know where you want to go, Bertha’s not much help.

The question we MUST answer, regardless of situation, is #4. Unless you’re going to sit in one place, you need to get started…even if you don’t know exact location or ultimate destination.

In that case, you need a compass. When Bertha goes mute and the rules change, you need some guidance. You need to recognize true north. The compass helps you take that first step in the right direction…even when you can’t see the rest of the route.

That’s who Jesus is. When it’s dark and you’re lost and the maps aren’t helping, He says “Follow me.” One step at a time, always in the direction of light and love, trusting that He knows the way because He IS The Way.

If you’re like me, you spend a lot of time fussing about the wrong questions. Where am I supposed to go? What’s God want me to do with my life? Why am I here?

I need destinations and routes for bike tours. In life, mostly I need to trust true north.