Maps {Be Encouraged with Kristina}

It could just be that I am a dyslexic or maybe because I can never really figure out which way is north. Maybe it is the frustration I feel while trying to handle one of those awkward fold out maps, or maybe it is a mixture of all of these things… But whatever the reason, maps and I are not a good combination! I was talking the other day with a friend of mine about my difficulties with maps, and she said something that has stuck with me. She said, “If you think of a map like a picture, all you have to do is figure out where you are in the picture and then it will be easier to find where you are going.” We soon moved on to other topics of conversation, but those words stuck in my head for some time.

I am currently in a season of life that is full of change and unknowns. I have been trying to figure out what comes next and where I am going to go, what I am going to do, and why any of it even matters! When I started thinking about maps and putting myself in the picture, I realized that this is what I have been forgetting all along. I have been turning, and flipping, and zooming in and out on my life trying to figure out where I am going and what I am going to do. But I hadn’t taken the time to figure out where I am, right now, in the picture that is my life. I had lost focus of where I am and of the One who never lost track of me! I realized that I cannot know where I am going unless I know where I am, and I cannot know where I am unless I stay focused on the One who placed me here.

I was also reminded of the verse in Proverbs that says “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9, NIV) How guilty of that am I? I love to plan and make decisions but I far too quickly forget that the Lord is the one who determines my steps. So here is my challenge for myself and for you my darlings! Let’s refocus ourselves on the one who is guiding our steps and let us figure out where we are – right now. Don’t look at where you wish you were or where you think you should be. Take the time to figure out where you are at for this very moment and spend some time asking God to show you what steps He has for you.

And remember, it is a lot easier to figure out where you are going, when you find yourself in the picture.

Love, Kristina