Reorienting
One time, I went to a school orientation that was disorienting. The man standing at the podium spoke rapidly and seemed to me like he was starting in the middle of the presentation instead of the beginning. He talked about yellow Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. And then about green Tuesdays and Thursdays. “But sometimes” he added quickly, “Fridays are green too.” None of this meant anything to me so I looked at the paper program I’d received earlier and flipped it over, searching for some explanation of yellow and green days. There was none. About halfway through the presentation, I gave up trying to follow what was being said since it made no sense to me anyway. I spent the rest of the time drawing a picture of the man at the podium on the back of the program.
By the time I walked out of the room I felt like someone had spun me in circles. I wandered through the crowded hallway and nearly ran right into the man who’d given the presentation. He introduced himself quickly and kindly and asked if he could be of any assistance. I told him I was confused about yellow and green days and before I knew it, he’d snatched the program right out of my hand and started writing on the front of it. I began to sweat as I thought of the drawing I’d done on the back. It wasn’t an unflattering picture except that I’d written, “Blah, blah, blah” in large letters above the drawing of the man. As he now held the program in his hand, I regretted that I’d taken such care to make it look just like him since he’d surely recognize himself immediately. I tried to listen as he explained yellow and green days, but I couldn’t stop thinking of that drawing. After he finished writing some things he thought would be helpful to me, he spoke excitedly about the year ahead, using his hands to gesture. I saw the drawing with “Blah, blah, blah” flash past me a number of times before I managed to snatch it back from him. He never saw it, thankfully, and I learned a valuable lesson about the importance of not drawing accurate pictures of speakers saying, “Blah, blah, blah” on the back of programs.
Life is often disorienting. I find that I have to reorient myself to the truth of who God is over and over again. Because His identity is the key to every other thing sliding into its proper place. I lose myself and other people when my vision slips away from Him. Everything gets out of place and proportion. Everything becomes as nonsensical as yellow Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (that are sometimes green).
When I’m feeling disoriented and confused (and it happens often!), I go back to that foundation of God’s identity. It’s like one of those maps that says, “You are here,” and it has an X marking the spot. Except, with this map, I’m looking for where He is. Once I remember Him, I know where I am and who I am because He is my orientation.
~Amy