Highlands Post Column Apr-2016

2nd Apr 2016 Highlands Post (Outreach Media)

They may have won the Guinness Book of Records for the world’s largest corn maze, but after the November season of 2014, the owners of the Cool Patch Pumpkins maze in Dixon, California were forced to consider whether bigger truly was better.

There had been trip-ups before; from time to time the odd patron might pass out in the 16 hectare (40 acre) labyrinth, but it wasn’t until its size was upped to a gargantuan 25 hectares (63 acres) that the real trouble began.

People were getting lost, and not the regular ‘lost in a maze’ kind of lost. Paying customers were wandering for hours in the sun, trapped with small children in a muddle of paths that stretched far too far, then the sun would set. All too often the day would end with a desperate call to the emergency services on 911.

Setting out on the quest to find God can be a bit like stepping into a maze. We take our bearings, follow our best intentions and off we go. Sadly, it’s only once we’re frazzled and dead-ended that we realise our heart has no true North and can’t be trusted as a compass.
Fortunately for the poor lost souls in Dixon, the Solano County Sheriff’s Office redirects all distress calls to the owners of the maze. When coaxing by phone and step by step directions fail they send in an expert so adept they can navigate the puzzle of paths in the pitch black of a starless night.

When it comes to finding God the task is beyond any one of us. He’s not found by chance or a lucky stumble. He is only found when we ask for help.

The Bible says a rescuer has already been sent for us; someone called Jesus. This is the job description Jesus gave Himself:

“The Son of Man has come to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10)

So whether you’ve only just discovered how lost you are, or have been stuck in a dead end for years trying to make the best of life; the good news is that you can be rescued by someone who knows the way. Jesus will come and get you no matter how lost you are and give you a clear path to God.

Ian Brunton