I’ve been thinking about finding shelter from the storms of life.
And in the thinking I thought of this story.
That time I hiked all the way down the Grand Canyon and back in one day…
and I took that one trail nobody takes because I wanted to be alone with God.
Well first…let’s run down all the proper hiking stuff I had with me:
☑ Big backpack
☑ A tent and rope
☑ A backpacking stove (and some fuel – and matches)
☑ Sleeping bag
☑ Hiking shoes
☑ A rain poncho
☑ A knife (the kind with all the cool stuff)
☑ Pepper spray (for bears and other mean things)
☑ Extra clothing
☑ A gps and a compass
☑ Flash light (and batteries)
☑ First aid kit
☑ Extra food
Wait.
No.
That’s not what I did…
The real list…
☑ Me
☑ My college backpack…
☑ Regular old tennies
☑ Some water
☑ My bible
☑ My recorder (for notes)
☑ Some PBJ’s
☑ My camera
Yeah – that about covers it.
Oh…
And I need trees for this story…
there aren’t many trees in the canyon…
so let’s move me somewhere else…
That’s better.
So let’s say I’m skipping along and I sprain my ankle.
And night’s coming on…
and a storm’s rolling in…
and that cute little coyote that’s been following me?
He doesn’t look so cute anymore…
and he has friends.
That tent would be really handy now…
But there’s no tent because I didn’t prepare very well.
I think there’s a lesson there.
Anyway…
I’d need to build a shelter.
Oh, and lets add a can of Raid to my packing list. Because there’s no way I’m sleeping on the ground with all those bugs. So out comes the Raid and I douse down a good 10×10 area.
And let’s pretend that I actually have that whole first packing list with all the right stuff – except maybe the coyote ran away with my tent.
I don’t know how to build a shelter, so I google some information.
I know. If I have internet I could just tweet for help or something.
But don’t get picky – it’s just a story. ツ
Of course, maybe we should also add – since it’s a story and all…my laptop so I could get my posts up for the next day – and respond to comments and whatnot.
And let’s say Laska the Love Kitty is with me. I’d want my cat.
And I know! I know…
you’re thinking, why don’t I just send him out for some help. But let’s be realistic. He’s easily distracted – and just the tiniest bit self-centered, so I think it’s best to keep him with me.
And to keep him from wandering off, and thus causing me to worry, I’d have a little mote built around my campsite. That would help with the coyotes too. It wouldn’t have to be big. Just 5 feet or so wide – far enough so I know he wouldn’t be able to jump over it.
And let’s see…
a good pillow…
a comfy mattress…
miracle foam of course…
a warm blanket…
some nice sheets.
I like big thread counts.
Goodness!!! I Heart that bed! I say we packed that bed too!! ƪ(◠‿◠)╯
And there’s more.
I need to think of more…
because I need to get all the details right…
and there’s a point to all of this too…
about love and finding or building shelter from a storm…
So I need some more time…
Please come back…
Oh, and while you’re up, send out a search team. mmmK?
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t get lost Craig or I’ll have to go looking for you.
I’ll be back to check on you, to be sure the coyotes have stayed at bay.
We don’t like coyotes 🙁
the one area that I have failed most miserably in my Christian faith, Debra, is knowing that there is strength in numbers – always choosing that path that no one else is on – always thinking that alone is better –all the while longing to belong. There is time to be alone with God – but Christianity was never meant to be a solitary faith – if I have no “others” – I can’t “love one another”. Also, the coyotes stay away when there’s more than one human. God bless and keep you Debra – thank you.
🙂 Love all the things in your shelter…. I would love to camp like you are camping.
Katie, you’re probably a lot like me – you LOVE nature – love looking at it – love listening to it – but don’t necessarily love being IN it. I’m the same with the ocean as I am with forests by the way. Love looking AT – don’t want to be IN. GOd bless you my friend!
Isn’t is wonderful that when we go out into the wilderness, we are never alone? Like your story of wishful thinking, you need only ask, and God will provide. A person, a useful thought/idea, the tools necessary to get through. We start off in life with nothing much at all, but he adds as we have need.
Love your imagination 🙂
Bekky, I would’ve been a horrible Israelite in the wilderness – I’d always be thinking that the manna wouldn’t be enough – I would’ve been one of those Israelites trying to gather more than one day’s worth at a time – oh, me of little faith. I write my “pretend” as if full of faith that God would just magically provide the bed – and the heater – and the shelter – but I LIVE my life as if he won’t. Bekky – I think I need to have a little more of YOUR faith. God bless you and keep you my friend.
I’ve had my share of freak-out “where is God?!” moments – but the blessing amongst the curse for me has been a life lived necessarily in dependence on God. When there’s nowhere else to turn – when you abandon yourself to the crazy will of God, and take the courageous leap to trust him – that’s when you realise that it’s true, we live by faith and not by sight; He always comes through – in weird and wonderful and unexpected ways.
And suddenly in my mind it makes sense, how always the Bible talks of things being like a woman in labour – first there is pain, but then there is rejoicing. The biggest blessings come from the biggest heartaches, at least I have found it to be so. Usually this is because I think my life should look a certain way, and feel devastated when what seemed good is ripped away… because I can’t see in the moment that something better is coming.
Blessings, my friend – and may we increase in faith together 🙂
Good words Bekky – all good words – and all received – and my mind and spirit are munching on them right now. God bless! ツ
BAHAHAHA!!!! You totally camp like me.
Psssst! I don’t do camping, though I’ve heard about this new thing called “glamping…”
It wouldn’t have to be as glamorous as “glamping” – but as you can tell – I’m not much of a camper either! ツ God bless you Layla!
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