The Compass Should Point North

I love word pictures.
I can run a good analogy right into the ground.
I think about it, analyze it, tell others about it...and never get tired of it.
All of the stories I dwell on will no doubt become part of "Rassi family lore" one day. So, I might as well help out by writing a few of them down.

Here is the one I've been thinking about today:
I'm not an "outdoorsy" kind of gal, but years ago I heard a pastor refer to life as a bit of a hike...and I got sucked in.

If life is a journey through the wilderness, then I often choose to climb up dark, steep, slick-surfaced, mountain cliffs when I could just take the easy route. (You know, the well-lit tunnel straight through the center of the thing.) I also tend to trip over tree roots and tromp through poison ivy when I could effortlessly keep to the smooth, flower-lined path. *harumph*

Yep, that's what I do...but THAT'S not the part of the story that keeps my attention. I don't need another reminder of how I'm not perfect. I don't need to picture myself covered in muck to know I make poor decisions at times. Believe me, I got that part DOWN PAT.

The part of the story that I just can't get out of my head has to do with the object we all carry in our hand. You see, when God made us, He gave us each a compass for the journey. It points to our destination. It naturally points North, toward Christ. If we realize that we were made to go North, the Holy Spirit guides us on the path of truth and righteousness.

Some of us feel that natural desire for direction in our life, but follow money, success, or other selfish ambitions, so our compass unnaturally points South, or East, or West. The paths for those destinations are dark, lonely...and don't end well . Others of us merely put the tool in our pocket and "feel" our way through the jungle. We sniff the air, read the journals of others who have been in similar woods...and do our best to survive (while being clueless as to where we are headed and hoping it ends in a good place).

This analogy can be a challenge for some.
Which way does your compass point? Are you even looking at it? What is the final destination?

I, however, often remember this word picture when I need to cut myself some slack...or encourage someone else on the journey.
Some of us are confident that our compass points North. We LOVE our compass.
We know the destination we are working toward: to know Christ, to love Christ, to be with Him.
Unfortunately, we keep getting scrapes and bruises along the way as we claw our way up steep mountains...and we need reminded that we are still heading in the right direction.
The occasional wounds we inflict on ourselves by taking "the hard way" can teach us about our weaknesses and show us what paths NOT to take in the future. Our scars remind us that our "gut" knows NOTHING compared to the compass we have been given.

I'm glad that we are in this big jungle together.
I am so excited about my destination. I hope my journey inspires others to check out this path "North".
I want to encourage each other in this adventure, even when we fall in the mud.
Press on, my friend.
We can do this.