Survivors Talk

Following are excerpts from a church talk that was given in Idaho:

Several weeks ago I read in the newspaper about a corn patch in Meridian. This particular corn patch had corn that was nearly 12 feet tall. A maze had been designed in the corn and its pathways created a life-size puzzle. People were invited to walk into the maze for the purpose of trying to find their way out.

The maze had many dead ends and false paths. Some of the pathways would simply wind through the corn patch and eventually circle back. In the newspaper I noticed that there was an aerial map and I thought how easy it would be to get through by studying the map.

Several weeks later my boys and wife informed me that for Family Home Evening they wanted to go through the corn maze. I agreed and remembered the map I had seen in the newspaper. Unfortunately, it had already been thrown away.

Off we went anyway, armed with flashlights ready to solve the maze. My older boys charged off, convinced that they could solve the puzzle quicker than we could. My wife, two younger boys and I started exploring the various pathways. As time passed we realized that that we were making slow progress and that our older sons may have been right. On several occasions we found dead ends and had to return to a previous starting point. We circled and backtracked.

There were others in the maze; some walking toward us and others walking with us in the same direction. My youngest son was a little frightened and began to worry that we would never get out. After offering him words of reassurance, we ran into our older boys who, ironically, were having an experience very similar to ours. We stayed together the rest of the evening and soon learned that following others did not help in solving the maze. Some people had advice, but you could never be sure if they really knew the way or if they were simply entertaining themselves with our frustration. Eventually, after more wandering through the maze, we found our way out. It was a memorable Family Home Evening, but I won't tell you how long it took us to find our way out! It sure would have been easier if I had kept and used the aerial map.

As we look at the world today, it is very apparent that we must all wander through the maze of lie and its challenges. Many people, unfortunately, travel through life without clear goals and objectives. Others have goals which are clear, but that have nothing to do with God's purpose for this earthly existence. If the people of the world only had an aerial picture, map or plan to help solve the puzzle of life.

As members of the church, we have been provided with the knowledge and instructions that allow us to do just that. Like using an aerial photo to solve the maze, we are able to use this knowledge to avoid many of the dead ends and detours that create so much pain and grief in the world. It is unfortunate when we fail to follow the maps we've been provided. If we will only follow their instructions, we will arrive at our objective of returning with our families to the presence of God and Jesus Christ.

Are we using the Lord's map for a successful life? Do we place the building up of the Lord's kingdom first? This should always be the first choice. When we decide to follow other goals, we are only getting lost in the maze.

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