Lost In The Maze

This week I heard a story on the news about a family lost in a corn maze for so many hours, that they had to call 911 to be led out.  Apparently they had set out earlier that day, with their 5 year old and 3 week old children, with the intent of having a fun family outing. Little did they know that it would be more memorable than they anticipated.

After hours of trying to wind their way out of the maze, they finally gave up all hope of being able to find the exit, before it got dark. The fear that crept into their hearts for the safety of their children and themselves must have caused overwhelming desperation for them to feel compelled to call 911 for help.

As it turned out, they were only 25 feet from the exit when they were rescued, but because the corn stalks were so thick and high, it seemed as if the exit was nowhere to be found. All they knew was that they were lost, they had no idea what direction to take as they faced all the twists and tunnels winding through the tall corn stalks, and that it would be getting dark soon.

I chuckled a bit when I heard this, while remembering that just a few years ago, I had found myself in a similar position after agreeing to visit a corn maze with my children.

As we walked for what seemed like eternity, the fun began to wane, and I began seriously questioning why I would have ever thought that wandering aimlessly through a bunch of corn stalks could actually fall into the "fun" category. Even though we finally found the exit, I do remember the feeling of uncertainty, and with each turn, wondering if we had the made the right decision.

But as I watched this news story, I couldn't help but consider its' parallel with real life.

We are all faced with making decisions every day. Some big. Some small. But either way, there are decisions to be made, and consequences to follow.

In those big decisions that we face,  that seem to be looming and uncertain and maybe even scary, we can be struck with that same  sense of overwhelming desperation for direction that the lost family felt in the corn maze. We are not physically lost - but we feel lost in the maze of life.

The maze of life - filled with all it's twists and unexpected turns.

The maze of life - enveloped with so many distractions that we lose our sense of direction. 

The maze of life - camouflaged with so many hindrances that we cannot see past our current spot.

The maze of life - eclipsed by many so problems that we wonder if we will ever make it out safely.

The maze of life -  shrouded by tall 'stalk's of uncertainty that make us fearful that darkness will soon fall.

As I pondered this thought of being lost, Luke 19:10 came to mind:  "For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”  (NLT)

This verse serves as our holy reassurance that when we are feeling lost, and desperate for help, we have a rescuer available for dispatch. We don't need 911, we just need prayer to call on  the name of Jesus.

He came, so that we could be found. Not just on our day of salvation, but on all those days when we find ourselves wandering aimlessly through life, with obscured vision, lost in the maze of life.

If you have been feeling lost lately, with problems, decisions, and life direction, remember that although we do live in a world where darkness looms around every corner, Jesus offers light. Through our prayers and time in scripture, He offers the light and direction that we so desperately need.

The lost family in the corn maze was told to yell out "Hello K9!", until they were found. All we have to yell out, is "Hello Jesus!", and we will be found too. In fact, we may even be closer to the exit than we realize, and our dependence on our Rescuer is what will help us find our way.