Christian Living

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Crossroads Of Life
© 2006

by

Stephen A. Peterson


While on the road to Baghdad, Iraq, the lead vehicle lead by Army Staff Sergeants Pete Sieford and Carol Blaylock had to make a decision. “The road map say we turn right at this crossroad,” said Staff Sergeant Sieford.

“Right?” Staff Sergeant Blaylock responded. “It can’t be. I thought we want to go north. If we turn right, we’ll be heading south.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. I only know that the directions on this map say to turn right and not left, Sergeant Blaylock.”

Staff Sergeant Sieford took out his map and compass oriented his map then shot an azimuth. “Yes, everything, the map and compass indicate we need to turn right at this crossroad to go north and to get to Baghdad. If we turn left, we’ll head for the southern desert where there is just a lot of sand, no water, and nobody to provide us with any food either. Do you want to check it Sergeant Blaylock?”

“Well, no. Because I really don’t know how to read a map or take compass readings. When I was in Basic Training I didn’t pay attention to map reading or navigation along land terrain. I never thought I’d have to use them. But I feel that turning left will get us to Baghdad and not right. I just don’t trust maps and compasses anyway. They’re not always right anyhow. C’mon let’s go left instead of right.”

Staff Sergeants Sieford and Blaylock have a decision to make. Will they trust the mapmaker, their instrument of direction, Staff Sergeant’s Sieford’s use of these instruments or Staff Sergeant Blaylock? Will they trust the blind intuitions of a soldier who, by her own admission, failed to seriously learn the training she received during her time in Basic Training?

Sadly, so many people and soldiers in the Christian Army take the Mapmaker (God) and His compass (the Bible) as unreliable accepting, instead, the voices of unreliable even persons resistant to or hate God Himself. Some even have heard the Word of God and know about the Bible, however, by choice, ignore what they have been taught thinking it to be worthless. Rather than use the instruments given them they are satisfied with going blindly down the road of life using their intuition ( human reasoning, risk taking skills, compulsive behaviors) then wonder why life is so difficult.

When the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) of failed relationships, life threatening sexually transmitted diseases and death face these erroneous decisions, then we question the presence and very existence of God. In moments of grief and sorrow, humankind almost demand answers from God. When the response does not please humankind, God is blamed for being faceless, without compassion and mean spirited.

Instead, humankind must trust in the Mapmaker who stands with us at each crossroad of our lives, pointing us in the right direction. Today we know that this kind of trust is, very simply, faith—the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen!

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