Pointing Your Heart (Avalon)
“I point my heart in His direction knowing He will be my guide” –Avalon, A World Away
Focus. It determines where we put our energies, and it ultimately determines our outcomes. Our heart gets squirrely, and can follow lots of different paths if we let it. Pointing our hearts toward Jesus is a purposeful decision that we can make every moment of every day. If we aren’t pointing it toward Him, we are pointing it to something or someone else, a direction that cannot give us abundant life. Why focus on Him? Well, first of all, He promises that when we focus on Him, He will focus on us. And, He’s a Guide that knows us better than we know ourselves, knows the road ahead, knows what’s best for us, and knows how to get us there. That’s better than any human source of knowledge that I know.
Getting Your Bearings
“Explorers need to know how to be lost comfortably. The adventure of the spirit begins when we stop pretending/performing, and accept our confusion and security.” –Sam Keen
1. Don’t panic. (Having the ground under you as unsteady is unsettling. But change is necessary for growth. Like a gravel road leading to the mountain waterfall, settle in for a rocky ride that will get you to a beautiful destination.)
2. Stop doing what you were doing. (If the old way of living your life wasn’t leading to personal authenticity and relational “success”, forge a new path by first stopping old patterns that weren’t working.)
3. Sit down; calm yourself. (A person must get out of the rat race in order to do some reflection with God, going to the Prince of Peace for the peace that comes with being in His presence.)
4. Look for landmarks. (The Bible gives the footings to anchor our daily living; the Holy Spirit’s job is to make it personal to our life situations. Mark the moment when this insight is given, as a reference point for starting a new journey.)
5. Follow trails or streams that lead downhill or to open space. (God will be the trail Guide as we yield our compass to Him. We cannot hesitate, but must pursue Him wholeheartedly. We’re not really lost; we are going on faith that we don’t know the direction–but that He does.)
Separation–Initiation–Return: The Formula for Growth
“The rite of passage: separation–initiation–return. A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonders. He encounters fabulous forces and wins a decisive victory and, finally, returns from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” –Sam Keen
Sometimes the separation is thrust upon us; sometimes we must get some space. Either way, it is important to get away from the noise/clutter/routine/relationships of daily life for a period of time in order to come to grips with one’s direction, and to plug into one’s spiritual Center, Whoever is on his/her heart’s throne (notice the capital letters because I personally believe it needs to be Jesus Christ). God speaks to you and fills you and gives you the guidance for the future as you listen and yield and receive from Him. It probably will get messy for a bit, but eventually clarity and peace emerge, and you are ready to share what you’ve learned in order to pass the baton of growth to other hungry souls who need what has been built into you.
No Bones About It
“To succeed in life, you need 3 things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funny bone.” –Reba Mcentire
It’s an oversimplification, for sure, but I concur that everyone needs a big dream to pursue (something that gives passion, to shoot for), the strength to live according to one’s values (including the self-control and self-leadership to say NO), and a great sense of humor (to not take yourself too seriously).