Directions, Please?

“Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” . . . So Abram went, as the LORD had told him.

In 1804, Meriweather Lewis and William Clark set out from St. Louis, Missouri, to find a new way through the west. Over the next two years, Lewis and Clark traveled approximately eight thousand miles—much of it through territory that had never been mapped.

In a world where we enjoy GPS and sports apps that map out our runs, it’s mind boggling to imagine what those years of navigation looked like for Lewis and Clark. As the men and their Corps of Discovery set out, they didn’t really know what lay ahead. No doubt, there were moments on their journey when they wished they could ask for directions.

The death of a loved one drops us into similarly unknown territory without a map. Even if you’ve lost other friends or family before, each particular loss requires that you relearn the topography of grief. Supporters might encourage you to follow a linear path through five stages of grief, but you quickly see the journey will be far more complex. Like Lewis and Clark, you will need to chart your own course.

As Christians, we are a wandering people, longing for a better country. Especially after the death of a loved one, this identity grows clear in our mind’s eye. This world is not our home. And yet it is. God has placed us here and now to love and serve him. He calls us to follow him, even when we don’t know where we are going. As he did for Abram, God assures us, “I will show you where to go.” These words are the breadcrumb trail that will lead us forward when we can’t orient ourselves in our sorrow. Though death creates a new landscape in our lives, God knows the topography already. He will guide us through it toward abundant life again.

Someday your travels with grief will be well trod. The landscape that now feels so daunting will become mapped as you walk with Jesus through it. Most amazing of all, your journey may one day provide encouragement to another person new to the path—comfort with the comfort you’ve received. No footfall will be lost. No mile will be wasted. Today, as you walk with God through your loss, take heart. God’s got the directions. He will guide your feet in wisdom and love.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

A Prayer: God, I stand with Abram at the edge of a new life, and I don’t know where I’m going. The unknown makes me afraid, uneasy, and frustrated. I used to have a life whose contours I knew. I miss its old, familiar landscape. Still, I know that you know the way that I take. You have designed my path in love, and you will lead me every step of the way. As I move about this day, remind me that you are guiding me. Assure me that you have mapped my life and I can trust your direction. Give me faith to step out today and follow you. Amen.

An Activity for Today: Rain or shine, step outside your home or work and take a short walk today. Choose a familiar route or map out a new one; it matters less where you go than that you do it! As you walk, pay attention to your body. Feel the swing of your arms at your sides. Press your feet into the ground and sense your stride. Breathe deeply of the air around you and turn your face to the sky. While you engage your whole body in your walk, imagine Jesus walking beside you—not in front, not behind, but right next to you. If prayer comes naturally, talk to Jesus. If worship bubbles up, hum a tune. Or if imagining Jesus’ presence is tough for you right now, simply walk in silence. Even in the quiet, you are not abandoned; you are beloved.

A Song to Encourage Your Heart: “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” by Patsy Cline