Off The Map

Emerging from the new birth, we find ourselves in an unfamiliar place. The first moments are spent in the arms of those who have led us here. They embrace us, pray for us, hold our hands, and tell us we have been blessed beyond imagination. Then they go home. And so do we. The old saying says that, "Home is where the heart is." It is a simple truism, proven over and over in our experiences. We never know the real impact of our decision to follow Christ until we go home. Maybe you went home to a family who did not know Jesus. Perhaps you went home with fellow disciples who just happened to be parents and siblings. But wherever home was, it was not the same. Those first blessed moments in the arms of those who were present to witness our birth becomes a shrinking memory all too soon. Those first few weeks will slap us in the face as we realize the crucial decision that has been made. Our unhappy habits are still our habits. Our ungodly friends are still our friends. Our unhealthy tastes are still our tastes. We have simply stepped into a dimension that shows us what these things really are - tools of our Enemy. Every once in a while, stop ... understand what has happened to you ... let it steal your breath ... realize that there is no where else to go. You have stepped off the map into a kingdom the unregenerate cannot see. Do not do this in order to revisit your decision. Instead, let it fill your heart with trust in the One who takes you by the hand and promises to bring you where He is. To you, the next steps are very unclear. To Him? Well, they were actually created by Him who leads you. Believe. Now the smoke fills the air Of this honky tonk bar And I'm thinkin' bout where I'd rather be But I burned all my bridges And I sunk all my ships And I'm standing at the edge of the sea --Bartender's Blues, George Jones