Lost - That is how I have been feeling lately - adrift, directionless, getting through the days, one by one, but lacking intentionality. My years in the military provide me a wealth of experiences and resources to draw from - an in this case I knew what I needed as an azimuth check.
When finding your way on land with a compass and map, you determine your route with two factors, direction, and distance. The direction is expressed in degrees, which you then convert to an azimuth on your compass. So for example you may determine you need to go 500 meters at an azimuth of 240 degrees. You then pick some key feature or landmark on that azimuth and set out, keeping track of your distance by counting your steps and applying what you know your step measures.
If you try to go the entire 500 meters, without verifying your location along the way, you are likely to miss your goal. So you do an azimuth check, or checks, along the way, to ensure you reach your desired location. One degree wrong at 10 meters makes little difference. But one degree wrong over 500 meters and you end up in the wrong place.
So it is with my life. Every so often I need to do an azimuth check to make sure I am still on course for the life I believe God has called me. In my recent azimuth check, I realized one of the things I have not been doing, that I feel is central to the life God has for me, is writing. So here I am again, after way too long, sharing my thoughts through the written word. It is baby step, but at least I am on the correct azimuth.
