The Compass in the Quiet
The Compass in the Quiet
Understanding pathways through prayerful pauses
Personal reflections from a fellow traveler. Not AA approved literature. Shared in the spirit of Experience, Strength, and Hope.
Have you ever wondered: “Where am I going?” “What am I doing?” “What is all of this for?”
I ask these questions often. Here’s the list of answers I’ve come up with: “I’m not sure.” “I don’t know.” And “I haven’t figured that out yet.”
That’s frustrating for a guy who wants to know. I would prefer to know outcomes, discover the answer, or solve the puzzle. That’s my nature. I just wanna KNOW…
As I sit and think about these things, I must acknowledge that this desire to know, to uncover, to resolve is not always a hunger to understand, but rather an escape hatch to safety.
I’ve written about Psalm 119:105 before. “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” I’ve shared my frustrations with only getting a lamp.
Well over a decade ago, I served in the U.S. Army. I remember attending a leadership course at Camp Williams, Utah and having to pass a challenging land navigation test. Students were blindfolded and dropped off individually in a vast wooded wilderness not knowing where we were.
Alone, armed with a topographical map, compass, and heavy pack with my belongings, I had to identify exactly where I was to determine where I needed to go. That was Step 1.
Once I discovered my position on the map, I had to lift the compass to my eye and ‘shoot an azimuth’. In other words, I had to orient the compass and the map to come up with a corresponding number on the compass that I was to walk toward, say, 270 degrees. Once I had that number I could navigate the terrain to my next point. If the underbrush was heavy and I couldn’t see my next landmark, I had to pull out my compass and ensure I was headed 270 degrees.
There were many times during the course that I felt unsure. There were only a couple of times I doubted my exact location. It’s very important to understand that if I can’t find my exact location on the map, every other step I take is wrong. Meaning, I won’t find my next point.
Can you see the correlation to the 12 steps?
Now imagine your prayers are your compass. The azimuth represents the direction revealed when I become quiet enough to listen. When you realize you don’t know where you are… STOP. Pull out your compass. Put down your phone. Reorient. Listen. Believe.
Recovery begins with locating myself honestly.
Here is what I’m trying to say: my instinct is to demand certainty before I move, but God often gives me orientation rather than explanation. Prayer is not necessarily the place where I receive the whole map; it is where I stop, reorient, listen, and recover the direction I need for the next movement.
I don’t need the whole map. I don’t need to know exactly what lies beyond the trees. I don’t need God to illuminate the entire route. I only need to know where I am. I need my bearing. Then, I need enough Faith to take the next step. That is very much The Compass in the Quiet.
Where in your life can you pause and reorient?