Colleen Orchanian

When we go somewhere unfamiliar, we ask for directions. We want to know which way to turn so that we get to our final destination without getting lost.

In a similar way, in our journey of faith, we make turns along the way. We turn toward God or away from Him. We might turn inward or toward the world. Only one of those turns will take us to our destination. The others are detours, and often dead ends.

Four ways we can turn

1. Inward. We turn into ourselves when we shut down, or shut out other people. We turn inward when we think we have all the answers. We turn inward when we stew about the injustices and humiliations we have experienced. We turn inward when we focus on our pain to the exclusion of the needs of others. It is an unhealthy inward focus, often the result of pride.

2. Outward. We turn to the world for comfort, for answers, for affirmation, for our personal needs. These things can all become more important than God and can show a lack of trust in God's providence.

3. Downward. We are tempted, and instead of asking God for help, we fall into the temptation. The temptation is not a sin. Our thoughts can come without us desiring them. But when we entertain the thought—that's when we turn downward. That's when we choose the sin—to indulge our passions—over obedience to God.

4. Upward. This is the best way to turn. It is the turning toward God. Striving upward. Intentionally choosing God in every situation.

Every day, we have choices of which way to turn. Sometimes, we choose wisely and at other times poorly. For example:

In my work or apostolate. When things are not going as planned, I have a choice. My default is to figure out how to fix it. I am very practical. What needs to be done? Who will do it? When will it be done? If I were to turn upward, I would still consider those questions, but differently. First, I would pray. Okay, God, give me wisdom. This is not the way it's supposed to work. Am I missing something? Is this you wanting to slow me down or the enemy throwing up obstacles? I have to be intentional about turning upward—taking things to God first. When I don't do that, I am very tempted to throw in the towel.

When I am afraid. It's very easy to turn inward with fear. I can consider all the what-if scenarios, which get me into more of a panic. I recognize my weakness and vulnerability. I don't like it. I become like Peter when he was walking on water. He took his eyes off of Jesus and started to sink. He knew he was not capable of walking on water, and he focused on the waves and the storm. Then he turned upward, and Jesus saved him. So often when the apostles were afraid, Jesus asked them why. When we know God's love for us, we have no reason to fear. We turn upward, and our fears are relieved.

Boredom. This is a dangerous time. Boredom is the door to sin. What do we do when we are bored? Which way do we turn? We can turn to the world—I fall into this so easily. I pick up my phone and scroll. Maybe you turn on the TV and watch a movie. Before you know it, hours have been wasted because of boredom. It might be helpful to have a plan for things you will do when you're bored instead of picking up your phone. How can you turn upward? Read something in a spiritual book. Listen to sacred music. Pray. Do a chore and offer it up to God. All of those are ways to turn upward rather than outward.

Suffering. Many people carry very heavy crosses and suffer deeply. How we suffer matters. If I turn inward, I can succumb to self-pity and resentment. I can shut out the people who want to suffer with me. I can turn downward and take out my pain on other people. We suffer well when we turn upward. We pray for relief and ask others to pray with us. We offer up the pain. We become witnesses to the world by the way we suffer. St. Paul wrote about his suffering and is a great example for us of how to turn upward when in pain.

Temptation. This is very hard because when we are tempted, we don't want to turn upward. We want to indulge. I have at times said that I would not complain about something. I would keep my mouth shut. But then the other person mentions it and I jump right in. I could have turned upward, but I didn't. I went down the other path. Learning to turn upward when tempted is so important. We have to catch ourselves early, recognizing the first inkling of temptation, and go immediately to prayer. I have to rely on God's help, not my own will power, because I don't have enough of that.

One thing to consider in all of this is what our default is. In each kind of situation, I need to know my default response so that I can work on those turns that are not upward. I need to choose the right turn. So what's my default when I am afraid, when I am suffering, when I am frustrated, when I am tempted, when I am bored? Spend some time thinking about each of those situations and how you typically respond. Then, decide to choose better turns in the future.

Choosing better turns

How can you do that? Here are some ideas.

• Catch yourself early. Notice the nudge to turn away from God. Pay attention to it. It's a warning flag to you. It's a call to prayer.

• Practice detachment from the world. What things draw you away from God? Is it your phone, the TV, friends, activities? Think about why these are so important to you. What role are they playing? Then, work to remove them—not cold turkey. That rarely works. You can, for instance, choose one day a week to turn off your phone for an extended time. Do that for a month, and then maybe you can add another day of the week.

• Spend a short time each evening reflecting on the turns you made that day. When did you turn upward and when did you not? Make a resolution to turn upward more tomorrow.

• Practice daily prayer and meditation, time spent with God with no distractions. We must spend time with God, in His holy Word, listening to His Voice, begging for His help.

• Confess regularly. We bring our faults before God in prayer and in the sacrament of Reconciliation, being specific about what we did and why we turned away, asking for mercy and the grace to be better tomorrow.

Any turn that is not upward is away from God. If my focus is on me, the world, my passions—it's not on God. We come to a turn in the road, and we have to make a choice. One choice leads us to God, and the others do not. Can God fix these detours that we take? Yes. Of course. But don't you hate the detours? Don't you hate all the time you have wasted not getting closer to God? I know I do. There is so much more I could have done in my life if I had not wasted so much time.

I encourage you to spend some time considering the turns you make each day. And I encourage you to be very intentional in those turns. Life is better when we turn upward.

Questions for prayer

1. What is your default turn in the common situations you face in life? How can you be more intentional about turning upward in those situations?

2. How might your life be different if you turn upward more frequently every day? How might the lives of others you know be affected by your turning upward more often?