Guiding the Disoriented Back to Jesus

Have you ever been completely disoriented?

I can recall one particularly vivid memory of a time when I was totally disoriented.  At the time I was about 10 years old and I was at my church's family camp for the weekend.  It was time for the evening service so the children had been sent out for our own service.  The teaching session was over and we had moved en masse to the large playing field for our game.  There were dozens of children.

The game went like this:

• Blindfold all of the children by taping cotton balls over their eyes.
• Line the children up around the entire perimeter of the chain link fence surrounding the climbing wall.
• Give the start signal.
• Have the blindfolded children rush down the steep hill and attempt to make their way to a particular location on the far end of the large field where they could have the blindfolds removed.
• Provide help to the children in the form of leaders called "True Guides" who could guide the children only with their voices.  The True Guides answer questions from the children, but may only tell the truth.
• Provide confusion for the children in the form of leaders called "False Guides" who could guide the children in the wrong direction with their voices.  The False Guides answer questions from the children, but may only lie.
• Once a child successfully completes the challenge, he or she is made a True Guide and may guide other children.

Sounds like a fun game, right?  

I'm sure it would have been, except for one small detail.  I have hearing loss.  Most of the time, I can fake my way through conversations or group instructions and gain enough information through sight and hearing combined to carry on.  Indeed, I was able to gather enough information to understand how the game worked.  But that was before my sense of sight was taken away.  

I had been blindfolded for games before, but never in such a large group of children, and never for the purpose of achieving such a difficult task.

When I was placed in my spot on the chain link fence, I was facing in the direction opposite to that in which I needed to go.  I knew that, so I thought it would be an easy task to feel my way around to the correct side of the fence and then head down the hill.  I could follow the sound of the other kids and be okay.  

Unfortunately, I didn't hear the start signal.  As the other kids left, I was only vaguely aware that something about my surroundings had changed.  Eventually, I realized that I was alone and that no one could see me because of my position behind the climbing wall.  Beginning to feel somewhat disoriented, I began feeling my way around the fence.  

The journey seemed to take forever, and after tripping over some large object (to this day I have no idea what it was), I was completely disoriented.  How many corners had I already turned?  Was the game even still in progress?  Had the sun already set?  I thought that I might at least be visible to passersby, so I stopped moving and simply clung to the fence, waiting.

Of course, I could have just removed the stupid blindfold and taken myself out of the game, but I have always been a rule follower.  If the game was still in progress, there was no way I wanted to get in trouble for "cheating."  Besides, by that time I was too disoriented to think clearly enough to offer myself that kind of help.

After what seemed like hours standing by the fence and sobbing in terror, I heard a voice, very close to me.  "Sis.  Sis, it's me.  Do you need help?"  I later learned that my twin sister had completed the challenge successfully and had turned back to become a guide.  As she did, she heard one of the adult leaders shouting to someone in the distance, "Hey, kid in the red coat!  Come off the fence!"  Glancing to the top of the hill, my sister saw me and knew that something was wrong.  She came immediately.

I sobbed in relief and told her I wanted the blindfold off.  My sister is a rule follower, too, but not to the extent that I am.  Instead of removing the blindfold, she took my arm in hers and slowly guided me down the hill to the leader who had been shouting at me.

Still crying, I was eventually able to hear the leader's voice as we came close to her.  Now instead of shouting at me, she was scolding my sister for touching me.  Guides were only supposed to use their voices.  My sister didn't let go.  Instead, she led me right up to that lady and told her I wanted my blindfold off.  It took some convincing, but the woman reluctantly agreed to let me out of the game (which was nearly over anyway) and removed the blindfold from my tear-stained face.

Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/blindfields/34518579155

Have you ever felt disoriented like that in your faith?  So confused that you couldn't ask for help or figure out how to help yourself?  I have.  I think a lot of people have.  Some eventually stumble upon the help they need, like I did.  Some have a courageous friend who, like my sister, are willing to come to them and offer help.  Others leave the faith.

Our young people - college students, youth, and even elementary-aged children - have doubts and confusion, but many are too confused, disoriented, or afraid to ask for help.  It is up to the adults to come to where the children are and offer help.  We need to be introducing them to the hard questions and helping them find the answers, instead of leaving them to fend for themselves in a world full of false guides.  We can't just wait for the children to ask the hard questions, or worse yet, hope they never ask them.  It is past time (but not too late) to create safe places in our churches, youth groups, and Sunday schools for the young people to ask their hard questions and search for answers under the guidance of those who have already found the answers in Jesus.  

Sadly, I see so little of that in our churches today.  The Apostle Paul commands older women to teach younger women and older men to set an example (Titus 2:1-8).  Yet today, the younger generations are told to go out and find mentors for themselves.  Most of us are too intimidated to ask.  I have heard the older women of the church say with relief, "I'm so glad the younger ones are teaching Sunday school so I don't have to."  Where in the Bible does it say the older generations get to sit back and leave it to the younger ones?  We all need to finish the race (2 Timothy 4:7), and that means guiding the disoriented back to Jesus until He calls us home.

Here are a few suggestions I have for helping those younger or newer in their faith along this great journey of following Christ:

• Teach a Sunday school class.  This is a wonderful way to get to know the children of your church.  Teach the children what God's Word says, and also teach them essential skills for studying the Word, like asking questions, summarizing a passage, checking out Bible maps, or memorizing Scripture.
• Volunteer to speak at your church's youth group.  Teach the youth what you have been learning, making sure to leave plenty of time for discussion and questions (otherwise they'll lose focus).  This is also a great way to get to know the young people of your church.
• Write letters to a younger relative or friend.  Express interest in the things they are doing, and write a bit about what you have been learning in your study of God's Word.  And who doesn't love getting mail that doesn't contain a bill?
• Offer to "formally" mentor/disciple someone.  This can feel daunting, but just dive in!  Go for walks together, or bake cookies, or play sports, and as you do, talk about the things of God.  Encourage questions and search for the answers together.

Do you have any suggestions?  Let me know in the comments section!