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From The Chaplain's Desk
From the Chaplain’s Desk: Getting Lost
 

By Charles Dimmick, State Chaplain

  JULY 2, 2024 --

And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

I’m pretty good at navigating by the sun without using a GPS, but when it is raining this method does not work for me. It is then that I may need to pull over and look at a map and even sometimes pull out my compass. Without these aids I might be truly lost. In a way, the same is true as I travel down the pathways of life. In making decisions, the pathway is usually clear, based on previous experiences and general guidelines. But sometimes I lose the path and become perplexed as to where I should go next.

What to do? The same as when I become physically lost. Pull out the map and the compass, or in this case the guidebook. Whether Christian,  Jewish,  or  Muslim, your religion provides you with a guidebook, although some of us may have forgotten where they placed it last. And along with that guidebook there should also be memories of how to use it from instruction given to you when you were younger. Do not forget also those words of wisdom imparted by your elders. The older you get the more you may realize that the advice given you by your parents and teachers contains much wisdom that you did not appreciate at the time.

For every book of scripture there are numerous works of commentary to help you understand the meaning of the words written therein. In fact, the total commentary is probably

100 times as voluminous as the original scriptural passages. Used carefully, these also may prove of immense value in finding the way one should go.

And finally, if all else fails, try praying to God for guidance, perhaps using a prayer similar to the following:

Prayer for Direction: Lord, please guide my steps, shine your light upon my path, and show me the way I should go. Fill my heart with your peace as I make decisions and lead me in the right direction. Amen.

 

 
 
 

 
     
     
       
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