On this Thanksgiving eve what is your moral compass set at?

There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

Up here in the Red river valley the land is so flat, far and wide that it wouldn't take much to lose your bearings and become lost. Which is why an experienced hiker always includes one of these  as part of his  essential pieces of equipment: his compass. 

 It appears that our news is filled with so much news about sudden deaths, tragedies, bad cops, bad people and journalists in search of their next story that will propel them into the nations living rooms. 

As I watched mom's and dad's weep for their wayward children and analysts trying to explain why this kid or that kid went in and shot up public place leaving fallen bodies in its wake I began to get this sense that just maybe their moral compass was giving them the wrong reading.  In this life there are many paths we can take, but not every path will be the best one.

Every day is filled with choices that for some will lead to disastrous results.  A wayward child choosing to sneak out of his bedroom at night to join his friends down by the railroad tracks to smoke some weed and drink a pint of beer will cause his parents grief when suddenly he feels tipsy just as the southern bound freight comes rumbling down the tracks.

A teenage son, filled with rage, will cause grief to an entire community when he brings his gun to school and guns down his classmates. A young man, unemployed and unable to pay his bills, will bring on a lifetime of agony when he is arrested and sentence not long after robbing the local 7-11. As he sits behind bars 'doing the time' his parents are left in a pool of tears wondering what they did wrong.

It doesn't surprise me to see increase incidences of grief and despair permeating on our national scene; not when every Sunday families are choosing not to include the ritual of attending church and worshiping the Lord of the universe as part of their weekly regimen.

Choosing not to attend church will leave our moral compasses rusty and useless. No longer able to judge whether we are on the right path we begin searching for any path. 

So much of our grief  can be avoided if only the person causing the pain had made the right choices.  Had the young  teenager caught stealing from the local 7-11  made the decision to remain in his bed instead of sneaking off in the middle of the night would have save himself much grief by staying out of the criminal justice system. 

 So much grief can also be avoided if families would choose to be involved in a brick and mortar church, Sunday after Sunday, attending worship and teaching  their children and being the role models their kids need; instead of looking for other paths of enlightenment.

What is your moral compass set at? Are you heading in the right direction? Are you on the right path?  My decision to accept Jesus Christ in 1974 was the foundation that set my moral compass. It is my prayer that as you enjoy this time with family that you make sure your moral compass is pointing you in the right direction. Doing so will help avoid unwanted grief.