Finding Direction

 FINDING DIRECTION

     Have you ever gotten lost?  Have you ever asked the question, “Where do we go from here?”

     I’d venture to say, if you’ve driven many years, you’ve been lost at some point.  I’ve been lost a number of times, but thankfully, I always found my way back to the correct direction.  Over the centuries, a compass has been used by seafarers and travelers of all sorts to determine the direction they should follow.

     Did you know the compass in the picture above (a piece I picked up at Hobby Lobby) is called a “compass rose?”  I’d never heard that term until last month when our family was together in Florida.  We were all wondering if there was a specific name for what appears to be an amplified compass.  My grandson Storm piped up, “It’s a compass rose.” 
     We all looked at him blankly, “A what?”
     “A compass rose,” he said.  “We learned about it in school.  It’s been around since the 1300s and it shows the cardinal directions on a map.”
     Needless to say, we were all totally impressed by his knowledge of this seemingly obscure information that none of us had ever heard before.  Kudos to you, Storm!

That same day, Storm spotted a compass rose at Disney's Animal Kingdom

     While writing this post, I did an online search and ran across a jewelry company that creates lovely necklaces and earrings featuring the compass rose.  Here’s a quote from their website: “The compass rose holds symbolic meaning for a traveler, whether they are exploring remote destinations or simply navigating life’s journey.  It serves as a tangible reminder to embrace life’s journey with a sense of wonder no matter the destination. Wear the compass rose to help guide you towards your own true north.”

      So, what sort of message can we glean from the compass rose?  The compass rose indicates direction.  What direction is your life taking at this moment?  One thing is for certain, we don’t want to find ourselves lost as we travel through this journey called “life.”  Finding the right direction is vitally important. 

      Sadly, too many people are trudging through life with no idea what road they’re on or what direction they should be taking.  Many are searching for direction in the wrong places, while others are distracted by the scenery and miss their turn.  Hence, we see men and women, teens and children, “living lives of quiet desperation,” as Thoreau said.  They are frantically searching for something as they try to find their way through life.

      The thing is, there is an easy, foolproof way to find the direction (along with peace and purpose) you need to follow in life.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through me,” John 14:6.

       We began with a question, “Where do we go from here?”  While the compass rose is a tool to show you the direction you are going on a map, the Holy Bible is a tool to show you the direction you need to go in your life.  The Psalmist wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” 119:105.  As we travel through this dark world, the light of God’s word will illuminate our paths and help us to take the right direction.

      From ancient times, travelers have known to keep their eyes fixed on a certain star or a certain mountain or other landmark, to help keep them on course.  In life, we need to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and He will help keep us on course.  “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart,” Hebrews 12:2 NIV

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1 KJV.

 Happy Travels, Dear One!!