God as your North Star

The North Star has been used as a navigational tool by marine vessels, by hikers, and many more, since it dependably remains shining over the North Pole, while other stars and constellations move in our skies.  It is that stability, the dependability that makes this star valuable as a directional tool.  If you are lost and can see the sky, then the North Star is the guiding light you can use to know which way is north.

Our God is every bit as stable and dependable as the North Star, and we have used God as a navigational tool even if we are not aware of it.  There are times, for example, when life throws you a totally unexpected curve ball and you find yourself swirling in circles of fear and worry.  It is at those times, many people look to God for help, or answers.  Why God? Why me?  Why now?  Help me God!

Now I’m not saying everyone turns to God.  There are those who have no North Star, but I will spend some time with that in a future post.  For now, I just want to address the issue of our natural tendency to turn to God when we don’t know what to do, what the future holds, or how to handle the mess we are in, etc.  Even those who seldom think of God, and never plan to set one foot in a church building, think of God in times of desperation.

I know I did, and for me, turning back to the North Star changed my life for the better.  You see, I had fallen into a pit of darkness in which, due to many life circumstances, I had begun to believe that I was a worthless human being.  I was a mother of 3 boys, but felt like a failure when one failed 7th grade.  I was a wife, but could never seem to cook or clean well enough.  I was a business owner, but my business was near bankruptcy at this time.  My identity was wrapped up in “wife,” “mother,” “successful business owner,” and I was failing miserably at all three.   Most importantly, although unknown to me at the time, I had put God on the shelf while I went about building my persona and my life. The persona I created had nothing to do with God, and had everything to do with the culture around me.  You know, the “husband, house, two kids, and a van” view of life.  I did all those things, and I ran a business of my own, but I had no time left for God.  I did not attend church, other than for Easter and Christmas.  I did not read the Bible, or pray.

So, I had totally shut the Light out of my life.  My sky was so filled with clouds, of my own making, that when my world started to crumble, I had no way to see the North Star.  God, our North Star, would have brightened my life with an understanding that I did have value.  After all, had I read the Bible I would have understood that God himself, the great I Am, had knit me together in my mother’s womb.

 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well. Psalm 139 13-14

 I had no way to see the value that I really had as a daughter of the King of Kings, because I was not seeking to find my value in any way other than being a good wife, mother, and business owner.  I was in a pit of my own making, and I was at the very bottom.

Well I decided to end my worthless existence, and was in the laundry room methodically doing the wash while contemplating what method I could use to end my life – yes commit suicide.  It was at that moment that a flicker of the North Star broke through the darkness, and a thought broke through, “What will happen to your three young sons?”

It was then that I knew I had to keep living.  I fell on my knees, right there in the laundry room, and cried out, “God, if you really exist, I need you now.  I don’t know how I can go on another day!”

I do not know how to explain this, but I knew that my prayer had been heard.  There was no flash of light, but there was enough of a sense of peace that I could get up, and face that day. It was as if Jesus had bent down and picked me up off the floor, and gave me his strength to stand and move into the day.  It didn’t end there either.  God put new people in my life to lead me to sources of help, and even more importantly, they guided me back to a place where I could, once again, clearly see the North Star.  God, as my North Star, has been guiding me ever since.  I seek him, and I find him. He is constantly guiding, protecting, providing, and loving me in ways that could fill books, should I share.

I am a better mother, wife, and business owner today because of seeking out God, our North Star.  I have a confidence that is not centered on what I have accomplished, or how good my children are, or how wealthy we are or are not. God has given me purpose, love, joy, and an abundance of peace.

In this series of posts, I hope we can help each other find and focus on the God who is our North Star.

If you are going through a place of darkness, feel free to share, but also keep reading on through the next several posts.  It is my hope that I can help you come to see God as your North Star, just like others did for me.

If you have been in darkness but have seen the Light, please feel free to share your story as well. Your story will help others build their own faith and trust.

If you know someone who has had a similar journey from darkness into Light, please share.  These stories are real encouragements for us all.

All these stories will help those who, today, have no hope, and are living in great sorrow, fear, despair, or pain.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

In Christian love,
Marsha