The year was 1989. As I approached my final semester at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma, I faced a common college student’s dilemma: I needed three more credit hours in physical education to graduate. Scanning through the course catalog, one option caught my eye – Orienteering.
Lawton sits adjacent to the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge, a geological anomaly where mountains rise unexpectedly from the flat terrain of the Great Plains. Established in 1901 by President McKinley, the refuge operated under strict wildlife protection rules. These rules protected the wildlife from being harmed by humans. Conversely, there were no cooresponding laws preventing wildlife from harming humans. Survival in the refuge demanded one crucial skill: knowing how to find your way out.
The orienteering class was straightforward. Armed with only a map and compass (this was long before GPS-equipped smartphones removed all doubt about where you were and which way you should go) students were expected to safely navigate the wilderness. The course requirements were simple: if you made it out alive you got credit for the class and got to graduate from college.
After considering my options, I chose bowling.
Orienteering isn't just about navigating your way through physical terrain – it's an essential skill for anyone who's ever felt disoriented. Have you ever experienced spiritual disorientation? I have. During certain seasons of my life, when friends asked, "How are you?" my honest answer was simply, "Disoriented." These weren't times of wandering away from Jesus; rather, these were moments when God's direction seemed unclear.
I've learned that sometimes we wait too long for crystal-clear directions when God is simply calling us to take the next step. Following Jesus isn't always about knowing the entire path – it's about moving onward, one step at a time.
If you're feeling disoriented in this season:
Remember that God sees you and knows exactly where you are.
Trust that He knows both how you got here and where you’re going next.
Take comfort that His providential care protects you from life's "wildlife".
Know that if you're stuck in sin or shame, Jesus specializes in wilderness guidance. After all, this is the same God who:
Led His people through a 40-year wilderness journey
Flawless navigated a 40 day wilderness testing, on our behalf
Continues to lead disoriented people like me through their personal wildernesses
Instead of fixating on which path to take – North, South, East, or West – try looking up first. Then move forward, confident that each step is protected by the ultimate orienteering specialist.
Jesus doesn't just know the way through the wilderness; He is the way.
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