Charted

What is Charted?

Like a master surveyor, Jesus gives us clear directions to find a fulfilling, purpose-filled relationship with Himself - a map to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Charted is a daily devotional written by the junior class at Fountainview Academy (Class of 2019). Based on the book Steps to Christ, this book explores the path to the Originator and Provider of Genuine Joy. We don't have to be confused about the way. The certainty is in the journey: divinely Charted.

Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy.
– Steps to Christ, pg. 9
As I took another heavily forced breath, I felt the
incompatibility between the air and my lungs. The constant,
monotonous intake of oxygen recycled again and again within the
tent, slowly poisoning me. At the mercy of the scalding early morning
sun, I attempted to free myself from the heavy layers I used to cover
myself throughout the cold night. Again, my hollow bones were not
quick enough to beat the anxiety of claustrophobia. The more I tried
to escape the uncomplicated trap, the more I reminded myself to calm
down. So I didn’t move for the longest time. Though I had no clock, I
knew that the sun went down and up again twice while I lay there.
All I could concoct was my magic mixture of words that caused
help to vanish: “I’m fine. I’m getting better already.” By the third day, I
had offered the trash bags beside me all I had within me. Spending the
camporee in absolute despondency, I stopped my irrational thinking.
Facing my unreasonable trepidation of the nurse’s office, I dragged my
unstable body outside.
Riding in a golf cart, the persistent wrath of the heat swayed
the world back and forth. The line was long when I arrived at the
infirmary. However, with the help of my uncontrollable nausea, I was
quickly escorted to the front of the line in about ten seconds. A nurse
briskly pulled me to the back as she began asking questions. While
she casually checked my pulse and provided small talk, her eyes
widened and froze with disbelief. With a resting heart rate of 168, I was
rushed straight into a nearby ambulance. A man in a white coat calmly
prepared equipment. As if my heart rate wasn’t already high enough,
the fear the nurse installed in me raised it way past 168. Lying down
on a narrow bed, the man hooked me up to an IV. Cool air conditioning
and the potent smell of rubbing alcohol filled the air. After about
20 minutes, I felt as healthy as ever. The man’s kind, professional
character bought him my trust.
Water—that’s what I desperately needed! How easy it was for
me to neglect something so vital—so necessary! Yet how often I do
the same with God.