Have you ever been lost? Or, worse yet, have you ever been lost in a place where everyone else seems to know where they’re going? That happened to me this week. I spent 2-1/2 days in Caesars Palace – literally. From the time I checked in on Sunday, I didn’t go outside again until I checked out on Tuesday. Everything you need is right there – the hotel, the conference center, restaurants, shops, entertainment, the casino (if you’re into that kind of thing). And, while others seemed to navigate the tangled maze with ease, I pretty much got lost every time I left my hotel room. It all looked alike – slot machines and flashing lights and winding corridors – with very few signs to guide the way. I had conversations that went something like:
“Excuse me, but could you tell me how to get to the Centurion Tower?”
“Oh – you just go across the casino and past the barge and you should see it on the left.”
Alrighty, then – that clears things right up.
Or, how about this (yelled by a colleague from across the casino):
“Hey – Why are you heading towards the sports bar?”
“I don’t know – I’m just trying to find the conference center.”
“Well, you’re going the wrong way – What are you? Country come to town?”
Why, yes - Yes, I am!
I’ve actually come to the conclusion that the hotel/casino complexes in Vegas are designed that way on purpose. People are wandering around, trying to find their way, but eventually they get tired and give up – and guess what?! There’s a slot machine or a poker table waiting for them right there, so they might as well sit down and stay a while because they’re going nowhere fast.
Life can be like that as well. We’re all on a journey, but sometimes we get lost. We feel confused and turned around, and there aren’t any signs to point us in the right direction. So, we finally just sit down right where we are because it’s easier than pressing on and trying to find our way. But, the problem is – the longer you sit there, the harder it is to get up and start the journey again. Complacency sets in, and the next thing you know, years have gone by, and you’re left wondering where the time went…
Don’t let yourself get stuck at the poker table of life – Pull out your roadmap – your Bible – and remind yourself of where you were headed when you started the journey. Ask someone for some help. Look around for that open door that you need to walk through. God has a purpose for this journey that is your life, and the enemy would like nothing better than to see you get sidetracked before you’ve accomplished what you set out to do.
Hebrews 12:1-2 encourages us to persevere in our journey. I’ve read these verses many times before, but The Message translation gave me a fresh perspective. If you find yourself stuck in your journey, let these words push you to keep on keeping on today.
“… we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running – and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed – that exhilarating finish in and with God – He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”
- Hebrews 12:1-2 (The Message)
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