POINTING AHEAD

Imagine walking down a country road on a brisk Sunday afternoon in December. You encounter a friend going in the opposite direction and you stop to chat for a moment. He asks about your destination and you point ahead of you to a house barely visible around the bend in the road. You then ask about his destination and he points in the direction that you are walking. Puzzled, you ask why he was walking in the opposite direction. His response was more puzzling: "I thought that if I just kept moving I eventually would arrive at my desired destination." You place your right hand on his shoulder and ask with genuine concern, "Are you o.k.?"

When you know the destination, and the direction in which you should be headed, common sense dictates that you find the shortest route. Why spend an eternity traveling in circles when you could be at peace. The notion that we can ignore all of the road signs, take wrong turns, and travel in the opposite direction, yet arrive at our desired destination on time and intact is a sign that we are using Satan's road map and travel guide.