Facing in the Right Direction
Declare and set forth your case; indeed, let them consult together. Who has announced this from of old? Who has long since declared it? Is it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none except me. Turn to Me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance. They will say of Me, "Only in the Lord are righteousness and strength. Men will come to Him, and all who were angry at Him shall be put to shame." In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be justified, and will glory. Isaiah 45:21-25 (The New American Standard)About this time each year the Maine woods are filled with a tiny pest called a black fly. In their quest for blood, they find ways into eyes, ears, mouth and all exposed skin. Yesterday must have been the appointed hatch time because I was escorted through the woods most of the day by several thousand of these winged critters.
Yesterday a brisk breeze was from the NW and my direction of travel across an old clear-cut logging operation was to the SE. The flies collected down-wind in the lee of my body and swarmed in my eyes and ears, bringing me to a point of distraction several times. With my back to the wind, I was clearly faced with a gauntlet of these pests in my face as I attempted to map the geology of the area. It didn't take me long to figure out that I was able to accomplish more facing into the wind, thus putting the cloud of flies to my back side and out of my eyes.
At some point in the morning, as I sat on an old stump in the middle of the clear-cut munching an apple garnished with these little pests, a thought came to mind. The distractions of the world, the pesky irritations that swarm around us each day can be put behind us if we just turn our face in the right direction.
Lord, as we are distracted by the sometimes pesky irritations of the day, help us to turn to you for there is no other way. Amen.
By Don (Maine, USA)
