Conviction and Direction

It's not easy to be loyal to all your convictions some times. Matter of fact I think it's sometimes pretty hard, especially if you are going against the mass flow of things. There can be life lived with many convictions, but they may not be the thing that guides you in the direction you go.
I often think about our lifestyle. We have lived this way so long that its a bit like breathing, automatic for us. There are no wide swings in the way we go about our daily life. Oh sure it was a big transition for us to go from the Mennonite world to the non Mennonite world, it felt a bit like getting in the car and driving someplace without a seat belt on, just felt a bit like we might fall out of the car. In time we adjusted, made changes, moved this way and then back that way at times. Taking steps to find out what was right for us and our family but always the core values, our deepest convictions remained firm when push came to shove. It is that sort of conviction, the core beliefs we have that gives us direction. I have to be honest and say that I don't particularly enjoy being different or getting looks for the way I dress or wear my hair. I would much rather blend into the woodwork and just be like everyone else. It's so much easier. There are times that I try to bend my convictions in hopes that they will take me on some new exciting direction. Only it seems I am only willing to bend on a few areas which means I am back to where I started in no time at all.
Even when our beliefs change some, there is usually a constant, something deep within us that remains constant and that is usually the best guide for what direction we go. Our lifestyle with its lack of so many modern conveniences is born from a conviction that simple works best for us. Simple things keep us grounded on the things we value, not being caught up in self, in the things that won't matter in the end and in never loosing sight of the value of peace within, apart from the stress of keeping up with the latest fads, shopping for stuff, or chasing after the things that pull us away from the quiet part of the day when we can hear that still small voice.

Think a bit about your own convictions and put together how they give you direction and what is that direction, where is it taking you ? Do your convictions and direction match up ?