Maps and Meaning

HarleyDad loves a good map. I have maps from all over the world. Generally when I travel overseas I carry both a map of the country and of the main cities that I visit.

I supposed that the reason I love and use maps is that they convey an illusion that I am in control of my destiny. Indeed I am not. The Bible says: "Say not that you will go to a city to trade there for a year and return with a profit, for no man knows what tomorrow holds." So as I read it, I do not have control but only the illusion of control. Nonetheless, I carry my maps. However, I depend on God to set my goals and to help me reach my destination.

Maps help me orient myself in the world. I know where I am and hopefully where I am going. It was Seneca who said that if a ship does not have a port, it will never get to its destination.

Businesses obviously believe the same thing. The maps they use are Mission Statements. They also use business plans and budgets to help show the way. Long term maps are things like strategic planning.

In our regular lives, we set goals and directions. Some of us use Vision Statements which are in essence mission statements for individuals. The Bible also says that "Without a vision, the people perish."

Many of us who have fought life long and hard find our goals not reached, our dreams dashed. Sometimes we have built our visions and dreams on sand instead of rock. Or the fire comes, we are tested and find after the test, that there is not much left. We left with shattered dreams and expectations not fulfilled. The fruits that we sought were not as sweet as we had dreamed or they have left a bitter taste. Our defeats are in the truest sense, personal.

When the dreams are shattered, discouragement and depression set in. We enter into the "dark night of the soul." We know that God is there but things did not work out the way that we expected. Sometimes, these defeats are because of our wrong choices; but often they come despite our good intentions and prayed over choices.

But it is even here in the dark night of the soul that God meets us. He knows His children. Even if they are at the bottom of the sea of depression or in the hells of despondency, they are His and belong to Him.

He is their Hope.

Victor Frankl in "Man's Search for Meaning" said that the people that survived the brutal Nazi concentration camps were those who had a reason to survive. Perhaps it was for revenge or to take care of a family member. But they had a purpose. So without a purpose, we perish. If we have a purpose, we often survive.

Hope is our food. We are better off without the basics than we are without hope.

Hope is what the world needs. We are taught "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Have we lost our faith and hope that this can be accomplished.

Part of this blog is about returning to simplicity. It is about getting back to basics. It is a plea to others that might read it-that there are things much more important than how we look or what we have.

In fact, in the kingdom of God looks are deceiving. Power comes from the humble and simple things of life.

Finding God's purpose or direction is important. Some good books have been written on this topic including "The Purpose Driven Life."

What is God's purpose and direction for life. They may be simpler than we think. Perhaps it is Right relationship with Him and with one another.

But while we wait, we are surrounded with those who are injured of body and worse of soul. We give the simple help we can to salve the hurts and more importantly to give hope to the hearts that are wounded. And as we do this to those about us, we do it to Him.

HarleyDad