Course Correction

I remember many years ago I was not very far away from a shuttle being launched into space. I was at a theme park in Florida not far from Kennedy Space Center. Although, it wasn't expected, I remember hearing something loud and looked toward the commotion and there it was off in the distance with big puffs of smoke, a space shuttle slowly beginning to rise up into the atmostphere…. and then it was gone. I don't remember where I heard it was going to, but there was a course most likely that had been programmed into the computer, to ensure it was headed where it was needed to be. Did you know that even though the shuttle headed straight up, it would need course corrections along it’s journey.

As I've been getting into this month's blog, the word course has been my focus. These are some of the quick phrases that came to mind. See if you've ever had these cross your brain waves.

I’m just stayin' the course!

How do I know I'm on the right course?

Where does this course lead?

Does it feel like an obstacle course?

And one little fun one....but of course, ha, ha.

Course correction is one that we see over and over throughout the Bible in people's lives.

A couple of verses that we can look at today, with "course" in mind, start with the story of Mary and Elisabeth in Luke 1.

Elisabeth’s son, John, who bacame known as John the Baptiser, was a man who had a course set for him from the womb of his mother. In this account we find that she and her cousin Mary were both given gifts to carry in their wombs. They were each on a journey which in a quick moment were both given course corrections in their lives. They both accepted the course change. Elizabeth’s son would pave the way for the other in life.

We can take note that John completed his course and directed his followers to change course and start following Jesus.

Acts 13:25 NASB

And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, One is coming after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

John 1:35-37 KJV

35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

The two disciples took the course correction required to move forward.

Let's now turn our attention to Paul, the apostle, and his course correction and conclusion. He was a man who hated Jesus and anyone who wanted to have anything to do with him. He was on a couse to destroy all Christians and was not going to stop, until He met Jesus on the road to Demascus. Jesus has a course correction for him and it would require turning and going a completely different direction.

Acts 20:24

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Paul not only took the corrected course, he shows us that in our unexpected things in life, we can complete the course with Joy!

This is the definition I found of “What a course correction requires for a spacecraft”.

https://www.qrg.northwestern.edu/projects/vss/docs/navigation/1-what-is-course-correction.html

When a spacecraft gets off of its trajectory, or path through space, it must be put back on the right path. The location of the spacecraft is determined and its course vector (the speed and direction of its flight) is calculated. This is compared with the path it should be on. A new vector is computed that will put it back on course. The ship's attitude thrusters aim the ship and the main thruster pushes it along the path.

Did you see it? It’s the ship’s attitude thrusters! I’m not making this up. Even something like correcting a space craft needs an attitude adjustment. I love that it helps the ship to take a new aim.

Have you ever looked at where you are in your life and thought, "I'm just going through the same old thing over and over again?"

I know there have been different seasons where I could say this. Maybe an "attitude course correction" is needed!

If we look at John, he was looking at Jesus and walking his course proclaiming Jesus.

If we look at Paul, he was looking at Jesus and walking his course in an attitude of joy.

Today, is a new day for us to do the same. Jesus is the course correction needed for our lives. He's not critcal, he's not a controller, but rather, He is a loving, compassionate God that is looking for those who will take the course corrections.

Neither John nor Paul, ended their lives in a manner that would be attractive to us. Rather it was their perspective from Jesus that gave them a full and enjoyable life, to the end. Paul died being executed after a prison stay and John spent a lot of alone time on the Isle of Patmos.

We can get so stuck in our ways, that when the course correction comes, we fend it off and say I'll fly it myself. I'm sure you know this is not going to end well, when we do this. It’s like sending a person to a new job and telling them to just figure it out. That's just silly! They need help all along the course. The course is designed for two, not one.

I close with this -

Hebrews 12:2 NASB

looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

There was a moment in the Garden of Gethsemene where Jesus asked His Father if the course could go another way, but then he was reminded of the flight plan again, and took the course correction, of his soul, and let His Father do the flying....

We have opportunities in our days to have course corrections. Just look to Jesus from the beginning of the day to the end of it and see if you are experiencing joy no matter what the circumstances bring.

Your will be done!

Dayna