I'm standing a few days into a brand new year. Having a lot in common with a guy from the 1st Century B.C.
Actually, a Roman officer, leading his men on a mission that took them into uncharted territory. Back then, mapmakers drew dragons beyond the line of what was known.
So, from "dragonland," the commander dispatched a courier back to headquarters with an urgent message. Which is where I cross paths with this ancient warrior.
"We have just marched off the map. Please send new orders."
Man, I get that. Right here in the 21st Century - it feels like we've marched off the map, too.
It's gotten crazy politically - with elections coming that will change who-knows-what. Or nothing at all. Hard to guess where our country might be headed.
The economy's in unexplored territory, too - hard to know how to plan for the future. The ticking time bomb of some countries seems to be ticking faster than ever.
Nature's been doing wild things, rewriting life stories in her wake. Our medical care in the future - who knows?
Places we've always considered "safe zones" have, at times, become killing zones - malls, theaters, schools, offices, airports. And terrorism has multiplied from a few instigators in a mountain hideout to "lone wolf" terrorists, recruited and trained on the Internet.
As our recent weather forecasts warned us of polar weather, you could barely move at our local Walmart. People don't want to be caught unprepared for what's coming.
The weather's much easier to forecast than the world. It's increasingly hard to know what's coming. How to prepare. Because there's so much we can't control.
But not everything.
Years ago, my wife and I read "Future Shock," a landmark book by Alvin Toffler. Maybe this "no map new year" isn't so new, after all. He talked about the "death of permanence" and the importance of creating "stability zones" amid constant change.
I call it "an island of sanity in an insane world." My wife and I set out to create that "island" for us and our children.
Where each family member comes home each day to a place they know they're safe. Not another battleground. You know you'll be heard. You know you'll be hugged. You know you can talk about things without fear of rejection or condemnation.
Traditions help. Predictable rhythms in a crazy world. Dinnertime. Family night. Bedtime and off-to-school rituals. Family meetings to talk about family issues.
A map to go by.
And while there are lots of unknowns about our economy, we can try to make our personal finances a "stability zone." By putting away or throwing away our credit cards. Sacrificing to get out of debt. Cutting cords that tie us to a system that puts outside forces in control of our life.
Sanity factors. Setting up boundaries so I won't be controlled by social media intrusions or overcommitting. Leaving room for "Murphy" - knowing that what can go wrong just might go wrong.
New orders for a new year in uncharted territory? Maybe.
Or maybe just rediscovering some old orders that we've lost in the shuffle. And kill those dragons.
Old orders like, "the Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want." From the much-traveled 23rd Psalm in the Bible. A Shepherd to follow in uncharted territory. Even "through the valley of the shadow of death" where "I will fear no evil because You are with me" (Psalm 23:4).
I remember how safe I felt when I heard that as a kid. And how much my dad wanted me to read it to him just before he went into the surgery from which he would never recover.
Then I learned the Shepherd's name. "I am the good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Jesus. For Him, there is no uncharted territory. He's even been to the grave and back.
We've all been burned by someone who betrayed our trust. I have no fear of that with Jesus. He died for me. Would He ever do me wrong?
Many times I've marched off the map in my life. But I've never gone wrong following the Shepherd who knows every corner of the future.
