Follow your compass not your clock

The first time I referenced this saying was after my initial exposure to Youthwave in 1999, while in Austin, Texas with the Garnett Youth group. When I first heard it, it was profound and really made me reconsider ministry, evangelism, discipleship, and my role as a follower of Chris in a different way.

15 years later, as I pray for justice: that lies and liars be exposed and for God to free me from these fences and prove that I am innocent (Ps 18:19-20); holding true to His promise to me on 10/5/12 to free me in such a way that everyone knows I am innocent, He again reminds me to follow His compass, not my clock. His compass is His word, His teachings (Ps 119:69), His Holy Spirit, His plans, purposes and pursuits. He reminds me that there are still things I am to learn while waiting so that I emerge from this mission field a more disciplined, more authentic, and more compassionate encourager to those who suffer injustice.

Dr Charles Stanley wrote in the Jan 27, 2015 In Touch Devotional that “the most effective encouragers are those who say “there was nothing I could do but cry out to God. Let me tell you what the Lord did in response.” If we try to escape pain, we will miss out on the opportunities and principles that can be learned only from suffering; then we cannot be useful to others. Our loving father builds encouragers from the material of a life willing to be broken.”

These 900 days have certainly been a time of being made a useful encourager. He has exposed me to the true prejudicial, political and predetermined injustices that are rampant in the Okla. Judicial System. He has given me cardinal and ordinal directions to guide me in ways of maturing that build me up and bring Him glory as I build up those around me.

I struggle, however, taking my focus off the clock. I am weary and saddened by the ever-growing gap in time that separates my daughter from me. Too often, I think of the weeks apart and the life events missed out on. I trust that He has a bigger plan, a plan that not only reunites us, but restores the time, events and important moments we have had to miss out on.

As I pivot once again from my clock back to His compass I am reminded to set my bearings, my headings, upon the promises and principles of God, looking at the examples in the Word of others who have been caught up in similar circumstances, specifically Joseph (Gen) and Jehoiachin (Jer 29, 52:31-34). The bearings God gave them to dial in on included settling, building, growing, planting, helping, and encouraging. God promised that after a time that He would bring them ack to their place of origin and bless them with a future filled with hope.

On day #900, I find myself blessed and protected in this fish’s gullet. In contrast I also find myself fighting discouragement as another vine withers, Valentine’s Day passes, my wedding anniversary ensues, and my daughter’s first prom season approaches, and I am missing out on those singularly unique events. He more I try to remove my focus from the clock the more I seem to become increasingly aware of the time I am missing from my family, and the life I could be, should be, living.

Out of talent, time, and treasure, I have always viewed time as my most precious commodity, so I do not wonder why I am struggling to continue to keep my focus on God’s declination points for my life instead of time. He set the stars and planets in place to give not only physical and spiritual directions, but to mark stretches of time (Ps 104:19, Gen 1:14, Lk 21:25, Mt 2:9). Time and compass points are related throughout biblical history. Astronomy was the science of the day that not only marked God’s Modes, but produced the standard increments of the day, week and month. The prophesies of Daniel, Jeremiah, and John focus on the times to come and directions of humanity.

I know that it is Satan that is pulling my attention off the all-encompassing character, conduct, and conversation that God wants me to focus on and skewing my attention to time. As Satan brings on his worries, wearies and waylays I need to be mindful to recalculate my bearings onto the care, compassion, and concern that He wants me to convey to others as I live and interact on this Crabtree mission field to be willing to go where He has decided (Prov 16:9), to pick up my cross and follow Him, allowing His word to be a lamp on the path (Ps 119:105), trusting that He has a plan that separates me from injustice as far as the east is from the west.

On this Mardi Gras Tuesday and the following 40 days of Lent perhaps I will consider giving up my focus on time, foregoing my daily calendar count, and focusing on what directions God wants me to pursue while I wait, pray, grow, dial in, and redraw my bearings upon His directions until He opens up these fences and proves that I am innocent (Ps 18:19-20).