A terribly inconvenient thing happened to me about 4 months ago.
I lost all sense of direction.
It’s true. It all started back in Guatemala, month one. We had moved from our house in Antigua to a village a little further out. It was an opportunity to switch up our environment, to replace some comforts and luxuries (like a bed and warm shower) with a better picture of reality for most people in the area. We were just going to be there for a couple days. No big deal. Getting out of the village was pretty straightforward: one bus to Antigua, ride it to the last stop, exit the bus. However, for me, getting back IN oddly was not that simple.
I got lost…
…twice…
…in two days…
…in the same place…
…for a total of 5 hours.
Something has haunted me since that day. I now find myself living in a world of uncertainty when it comes to direction. It’s like my internal GPS has been turned off.
Living in Thailand has made me aware of this on a whole new level. When you can’t read the signs or even attempt the language, suddenly getting lost would no longer be an inconvenience but a nightmare. It wasn’t always this way, at least to my knowledge. Before taking an extended tour of Ciudad Vieja, I was fairly confident in my directional capabilities.
Wait though…looking back, was I really capable? I mean, were the directions I followed based on my capabilities or my iPhone’s??
Those couple days in Guatemala, we left Antigua to forgo some comforts of home. In leaving the States for this season, I said goodbye to a lot more comforts. 4 years ago, I told God that I did not need Him. Sadly, it was true. I had a job with steady income. I had a schedule filled with college classes. The little free time I had was spent how I saw fit. My closet was always growing. Meals in the cafeteria were all-you-can-eat. Life was easy. I was content.
It’s different now. I can’t just pull out my proverbial iPhone. I can’t rely on technology or “stuff” to get me through the day. I have to rely on something else, on Someone Else.
Honestly, that scares me.
Remember that part in Indian Jones: The Last Crusade, when Jones has to take a leap of faith across a chasm where there appears to be no bridge. Yep. That’s where I am. “Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it. (NCV)”
The reality is this: I have to have faith now.
