“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12
On the evening of June 12, 2018, authorities discovered 54 illegal immigrants in a tractor trailer in San Antonio. The people had been smuggled into the country illegally. The truck had air conditioning and water, but there was no food for the people. Five of them were injured.
What is your immediate, gut-level reaction to that story?
A left-leaning liberal might use the story to make a case for open borders. Is it morally defensible for foreigners to have fewer human rights than people who happen to be born in the right place at the right time? Freedom of movement is a basic human freedom. Thus, all people should be free to move about the earth, unrestrained by arbitrary borders. Besides, our country was founded by immigrants and our diversity makes us stronger.
A right-leaning conservative might use the story to make the case for building a wall between Mexico and the United States. Rather than follow the legal immigration process as others have done, these 54 individuals broke the law. They should be jailed, tried, convicted, and expelled from our country. We are a sovereign nation and our borders must be respected.
That brings us to Armando Colunga, a tow truck driver of Mexican descent. I don’t know how he leans politically or who he voted for in the last presidential election. But he watched the story on the news. He saw 54 detained individuals sitting on the ground behind a truck.
He also felt compelled to act. No, he didn’t rush to post a politically-charged rant on social media. He didn’t shake his head in frustration or anger, turn off the television, and go to bed.
Instead, Mr. Colunga, filled with compassion and concern, traveled across town to help. He purchased seven Little Caesar’s pizzas and received permission to cross the yellow crime scene tape. A fireman took the pizzas from him and distributed them to the undocumented immigrants.
The officers told him he didn’t have to do what he was doing.
“No, I didn’t have to, but they’re my people,” he said. “If they were black or African people or white people coming from London… I would have done the same thing. It’s not about race.”
I don’t know whether Mr. Colunga is a Christian, but he exhibited Christ-like behavior. The note from the margin reads: How can you spot true Christians? They’ll be clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
As the immigration debate rages on, we should never place political ideology over faith. While we can discuss immigration policy and what should be done with illegal immigrants, may our first instinct be to get suffering people something to eat and drink. After all, they’re all God’s people.
I saw the sun begin to dim
And felt that winter wind
Blow cold
We’ve all traveled the valley of despair and disappointment. We’ve all felt the pain of loss and unrealized dreams. In The Greatest Showman, Phineas Taylor Barnum lost his business, his fortune, and nearly his family—the winter wind had blown cold. He tried to drown his sorrows with alcohol, sitting alone in a bar. He looked back on his life with regret over misplaced priorities. After a promising start, the sun was dimming on his horizon.
Like P.T. Barnum, Solomon spent time in the valley. Near the end of his life, he looked back on his life with considerable regret. He literally had it all—fame, fortune, riches, pleasures, palaces, women, servants, food and wine. He had a means to every end. During his life, no desire went unmet. He looked back on it all in his quasi-diary, the book of Ecclesiastes. He summed it up in Ecclesiastes 1:2 with, “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” All the things he had chased after—all the things that were supposed to bring him happiness—were meaningless. In chapter 2, verse 11, Solomon describes his pursuits as “a chasing after the wind.”
How will your end-of-life diary read? What are you chasing after?
A man learns who is there for him
When the glitter fades and the walls won’t hold
So true. When you’ve lost power, authority, and influence, who sticks with you? When the walls of life start to crumble around you, who is there to help you hold them up? When you’ve made a mess of your life, who is there to help you clean it up?
In The Greatest Showman, P.T. Barnum’s band of misfits show up at the bar and offer words of encouragement. He was there for them when even their own mothers rejected them for looking different. Now they are there for him and will help him rebuild and start over. They offer their friendship, support, and a glimmer of hope.
In the Garden of Gethsemane and later at the cross, Jesus learned who was there for him. No one. His closest followers slept while he prayed in agony. They denied him and scattered like cowards. No one had his back. No one. He bore the cross alone.
In the way you live your life, do you have Jesus’ back?
Cause from then, rubble
What remains
Can only be what’s true
What remains is what’s true. P.T. Barnum’s friends and family remained and were true. His dreams of making a difference in the world through entertainment were shattered and yet somehow remained. They, too, were true.
From the rubble and shame of Christ’s crucifixion, He remained. In fact, He rose again on the third day! He suffered—but remains. He bore our sins—yet remains. He agonized and cried out—but still remains. What remains…can only be what’s true. Christ remains. Christ is truth.
When you take away the passing fancies and rubble of your life, what will remain? Are you chasing truth, or chasing after the wind?
If all was lost
There’s more I gained
Cause it led me back
To you
P.T. Barnum’s suffering and loss ironically resulted in gain. His misfortune made him realize his priorities were all wrong. At the altar of fame and fortune, he had sacrificed family and friends. Ultimately, through tragedy, he’s led back to his family. Near the end of the film, he’s seen for the first time at his daughters’ dance recital. The picture of a man with properly placed priorities is a beautiful thing.
In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God tells Solomon, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” The people had rejected God and lived for themselves. Still, God was willing to forgive them and give them a fresh start. God still offers that today.
Do you need a fresh start? Do you need to return to God?
From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What’s waited till tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight
P.T. Barnum had a life-changing epiphany. He had been blinded by fame and fortune. It was time for a change. Not eventually. Not after the next show. Not once everything was figured out. The change would begin immediately. His new way of thinking and living would start tonight. People would notice a difference in him…from now on.
Repentance does that to a person. When God and religion go from the abstract to the real, your world is turned upside down—for the better. Things that used to mean so much—wealth, possessions, rank, and popularity—start to fade into the background. You start to get what Jesus had in mind when he said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15) Once you realize your predicament without God and your need for God, you’ll want to become a Christian…immediately. The change must start tonight. I must live for God…from now on.
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on
This is my favorite phrase in the song. Barnum is promising to do better—to be better. That change will be noticeable to everyone around him going forward. How noticeable? Like an anthem in his heart. An anthem is “a rousing or uplifting song identified with a particular group, body, or cause.” In Barnum’s case, there would plenty of rousing songs—The Greatest Showman soundtrack is full of them. More importantly, his “anthem” was about a cause within. It will emanate from his heart and his family and friends will see it in him.
Christians believe in God’s promises. We trust that God will follow through with what He has said He will do. The main promise—eternal life—should be on the surface of our lips and buried deep within our hearts. Heaven is something we think about, dream about, talk about, and sing about. We can’t approach our eternal destiny any other way.
What promise do you trust in? What anthem is on your heart?
I drank champagne with kings and queens
The politicians praised my name
But those are someone else’s dreams
The pitfalls of the man I became
Barnum had “hobnobbed with the big wigs at the wing dings,” as the saying goes. He could name drop with the best of them. His mantel was lined with photos of himself and celebrities. He began to assess his value based on who he knew rather than who he was. He calls that way of thinking “pitfalls.” Solomon would have called it “utterly meaningless.”
I’ve been there. I’m patriotic and proud of my military career, but I don’t miss the over-emphasis on rank and privilege. While there are some practical reasons for wearing one’s rank on the uniform, few professions do that. Our rank determined our pay, our responsibilities, how we were addressed, the size of our office, where we sat at the table, and sometimes even where we parked our cars. In some uniforms, we also wore our medals and ribbons. Thankfully, most professions don’t do that. We were promoted based on our potential, but it didn’t hurt to “drink champagne” with kings and queens—or the right general officer. The farther removed I am from that life, the more aspects of it seem, well, meaningless.
Do you worry more about who you know than who you are? Is it more important to look outwardly successful on social media than to actually be successful in God’s eyes?
For years and years
I chased their cheers
The crazy speed of always needing more
But when I stop
And see you here
I remember who all this was for
Barnum admits to having gotten caught up in the “crazy speed of always needing more.” He had to be not just a successful businessman, but the best entertainer in the world. To prove his father-in-law wrong, he had to purchase the trophy house. He chased the cheers of the crowds, his family, and his friends. He finally realized that each new possession or accomplishment simply led to him wanting more. Whatever he had, it was “Never Enough”—another inspiring song on The Greatest Showman soundtrack.
Are you caught up in the crazy speed of always wanting more? How would our lives be different if we were satisfied with what we had?
And from now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What’s waited till tomorrow starts tonight
It starts tonight
And let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on
From now on
And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home, again!
The song concludes with Barnum and his posse of peculiar people chanting, “And we will come back home…And we will come back home…Home, again!” With his priorities straight, he celebrates returning home. To the new and improved Barnum, home includes a wife who loves him, daughters who need him, and friends who admire him for who he is as a person. More than just figurative language, Barnum leaves the circus he created to his partner and returns home to be with his family.
From the Bearded Lady to the Irish Giant, Barnum’s band of outcasts also return “home” to a circus where they can find peace and be among people who love them for who they are. The Bearded Lady’s song, “This is Me,” is another rousing anthem about overcoming insults and being proud of who you are. In the circus, she found acceptance. She found home.
As much as I loved going to summer camp as a kid, I always enjoyed returning to the comforts of home. As much as I enjoyed going off to college, there was something special about returning home to see my family. As much as hiking the Appalachian Trail meant to me and changed me, I couldn’t wait to get home to be reunited with my wife.
For Christians, this world is not our home—we’re just passing through. As much as we love our families, friends, and the many ways we’re blessed here on earth, this isn’t the end game. It’s temporary. It’s passing. Much of it is “utterly meaningless.” For true meaning, we return to Solomon’s diary, and find, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
If we do that, from now on…before we know it, we’ll be home—home again!
“He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:3-4
From 1983 to 1984, my dad served as Base Commander at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey. His duties included meeting dignitaries and celebrities who visited the base, often on their way to other places. A perk of being his son was having the opportunity to accompany him when he went to Base Operations to meet these visitors.
On one occasion, Dad informed me, a high school senior at the time, that a USO Tour would be arriving in the middle of the night.
“Who will be there?” I asked.
“Bob Hope, among others,” Dad replied.
“I’ve heard of him,” I said. “I know he’s a big deal. But I’m not sure I want to get up in the middle of the night. Who else is coming?”
Dad checked his notes and replied, “Cathy Lee Crosby, Ann Jillian…”
“That’s cool,” I interrupted, “But I think I’ll stay home.”
Dad looked up and finished with, “And Brooke Shields.”
“Brooke Shields!” I yelled. “What time are we leaving?”
For reasons having to do with teenage hormones, I wasn’t about to miss this opportunity. So, for the next several hours, I prepared for my first “date” with Miss Shields. I retrieved my very best jeans and blue, stylish “Members Only” jacket. My mom and I discussed probing questions I could ask Brooke about her role in Endless Love and how she gets her hair so shiny. My neighborhood buddies suggested I wear Calvin Klein jeans and try to get Brooke’s phone number. I was confident, prepared, and exceedingly cool.
My dad and I were in position when, late that night, Bob Hope and his entourage arrived at Base Operations. As Brooke approached me in the receiving line, we exchanged “hellos” and I handed her a USO hat. Instantly, I froze, blood rushed to my face, and I didn’t utter another word or get her phone number. I completely and totally choked! I had failed in the all-important transition from talking about someone to talking to someone.
In today’s passage, David makes a much smoother transition. He talks about how God refreshes his soul and guides his paths. But then, in the very next verse, he speaks to God. He tells God, “You are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The note in the margin reads: David goes from talking about God to talking to God—we must make the same transition.
God must be more to us than a distant, historical figure in an ancient history book. Our relationship with him must mean more than just the facts we know about him. God desires a real, personal relationship with me. Sadly, Miss Shields did not.
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” – Psalm 32:3
The murder of Frank Wesley McAlister had remained unsolved for 25 years. That all changed in January of 2018. During a televised interview, Brian Keith Hawkins of Redding, California made a surprise confession: He had killed Frank McAlister in 1993, with the help of two accomplices. The trio planned to meet McAlister under the pretense of a meth transaction. Instead, they robbed him, stabbed him to death, and ditched his car.
After confessing, Hawkins finished a Pepsi and cigar and then turned himself into local authorities. He and his accomplices were arrested and remain in jail.
Brian Keith Hawkins
What causes a man to confess to a crime and turn himself in? In this case, the murderer provided an explanation:
“Horrible, horrible, absolutely horrible every day,” Hawkins said to describe his life since the murder. “Almost every minute of every day has been a nightmare.” According to Hawkins, his victim wasn’t the only one to lose his life that day.
“It’s kinda weird that Frank never even got to have a life and neither did I,” he said in an interview. “We were teenagers and now I’m 44 and still haven’t had a life, and now probably most likely won’t anyways.”
Hawkins said that he has been remorseful ever since the incident, but it was ultimately finding faith in God that led to his confession.
“I’ve been through hell my whole life because of this,” Hawkins explained. He said he knows that God has forgiven him, but that wasn’t enough. The wrong couldn’t be undone, but he could now do the right thing. So, he contacted the family to beg for forgiveness. He then turned himself in so that a judge and jury can decide his punishment.
Today’s passage is taken from a psalm of David. The note from the margin reads: When you have sin in your life and do nothing about it, there is no peace.
Campbell Morgan describes it as “a Psalm of penitence, but it is also the song of a ransomed soul rejoicing in the wonders of the grace of God. Sin is dealt with; sorrow is comforted; ignorance is instructed.” James Montgomery Boice adds, “This was Saint Augustine’s favorite psalm. Augustine had it inscribed on the wall next to his bed before he died in order to meditate on it better.”
I suspect Brian Keith Hawkins will spend the rest of his life behind bars. He has lost his freedom, the consequence of a 25-year-old crime. However, by finding God, turning himself in, confessing his sin, and asking for forgiveness, he will find mercy and peace.
“Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” – Psalm 39:4-5
“But a Breath”
Oh, those days of youth, that childhood mine,
No watches, no schedules, no checking the time.
A meander, a frolic, afternoons stretch a mile,
Surely hours of play; no, ‘twas just a short while.
Seventh grade, eighth, still young and growing,
A clock on the wall, must I get going?
Still plenty of time, a deep reservoir of breath.
An endless horizon, so many years left.
Don the gown, toss the cap, then do so again,
A glance at my gal, is she more than a friend?
Time rushes on, a watch claims my wrist,
Bosses and pressures, “to do” headlines my list.
Tears flood my cheeks, loved ones laid to rest,
They warned life is short, once thought that was jest.
Happier moments too, our nest graced with a son,
Then another one joins him, yes, parents we’ve become.
But you never see the culprit, it all happens so fast,
Leave the pedal unguarded, time steps on the gas.
The thirties rush by, the forties even quicker,
I’d argue too fast, but I’m not one to bicker.
The nest soon empties, must be some kind of trick,
The clock simply smiles, and whispers… tick, tick, tick.
Still much left to do, “bucket” headlines my list,
Ample time remains, I defiantly pound my fist.
Oh, but time rushes on, the years start to show.
More wrinkles, more pounds, no longer a sprite beau.
The memories pile up, next to a regret or two,
The realization comes, our years here so few.
I get it now, friends, how fleeting my life,
Still blessed by a Savior, and a beautiful wife.
Won’t run out the clock, still much left to do,
A poem still to write, this message for you.
Cherish each moment, till your final date with death,
The psalmist was right, each man’s life, but a breath.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7
Several years ago, I had the opportunity to teach a Leadership class at Foundation Christian Academy in Valrico, Florida. In addition to discussing leadership principles and completing service projects and classroom exercises, we invited various guest speakers to visit and offer words of advice to our students.
One such visitor was Rex Dutton, long-time preacher for the Bell Shoals Church of Christ in Brandon, Florida. Rex spoke to us about life, leadership and careers. He challenged us not to settle for mediocrity, but to strive to make a difference in the world. The students listened intently, and I furiously scribbled notes from the back of the room. I later transferred those notes to the back page of my Bible.
While recently working on a writing project, I came across those notes. They are as relevant today as they were several years ago. As we prepare to embark on a New Year and the fresh start that it brings, perhaps we can find a word or two of wisdom to encourage and challenge us to make 2018 our best year yet.
Do something you’d do for free—believe in it.
Keep up with your successes—there will be offsets.
What you end up doing may be different than what you planned to do.
Don’t be dull and boring at what you do.
Have a compelling story—how God called you and is using you.
As a leader, don’t be timid. Be a lion, not afraid and confused. (2 Timothy 1:7)
Prepare yourself—know the subject. “No one in this room knows more about the subject than me.”
Expect criticism and handle it.
Speak boldly, raise your voice. Even when you don’t always feel brave, at least sound brave. (2 Timothy 2:1, 4:1-2)
If you are creative and work hard, you can make good money.
Focus…really focus. What is the most important thing I do? What is the cause within me? What am I really doing this for?
Live humbly, but pursue excellence. If your name is on the project or presentation, people should expect it to be good.
Find someone, early on, to rip you apart—seek honest criticism.
Don’t just be in the herd. Anybody can read a book, but can you write one?
Be original—you’re only a leader if someone else wants your name on their shirt. (2 Timothy 3:10)
Don’t be superficial—it won’t work in front of a real lion.
Do an inventory of your attitudes. (Matthew 5) How do I measure up?
Do an inventory of your virtues. (2 Peter 1:5-9) How can I improve?
Do an inventory of your fruit. (Galatians 5:22-25) How can I become more like Christ?
Refresh, encourage, and inspire people. (2 Timothy 1:16)
“I wanna be a billionaire so freakin’ bad Buy all of the things I never had.” – Billionaire, Bruno Mars
Janet and I are slowly making our way up the West Coast towards Washington state, where our first sojourn begins next month. We’ll be attending a workshop and then working at Delano Bay Christian Camp, getting it ready for summer camps. Along the way, we’re taking long walks on beaches, visiting historic sites, and doing other touristy things that TripAdvisor tells us we can’t miss.
We recently stayed at Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station, southeast of Los Angeles. Before missiles and ammunition are loaded on Navy ships from the Pacific fleet, they are stored here. Surrounded by bunkers and other restricted areas, we were about as heavily protected as RV dwellers can be.
Being movie buffs and in the vicinity of Los Angeles, we signed up for the Warner Brothers Studio Tour followed by the driving tour of celebrity homes. Warner Brothers was amazing…a behind-the-scenes look at how movies and tv shows are made. We toured the Big Bang Theory sets, the massive movie props archive, and the fake outdoor neighborhoods which are transformed into something that looks real. We played Quidditch and rode Batman’s motorcycle against green screens and sat on the Friends’ couch. While passing Kathy Bates’ RV positioned behind a soundstage, I wanted to tell her, “Hey, we live in an RV too!”
Next came the celebrity homes tours. Most celebrities are well off the beaten path, protected by high fences and manned security gates. I suppose they are trying to avoid people like…us. I can’t blame them. Other homes are partially visible at certain angles, or fully visible but off in a distance. As we drove along Mulholland Drive, our tour guide rattled off a who’s who of celebrities…
“To the left is Sacha Cohen’s home…he’s better known as Borat.”
“Over there…Drew Carey’s home.”
“Off to the left and down, along the canyon, that’s where Katy Perry lives.”
“Up on the cliff…way up…with the American Flag flying…that home belongs to Capt. America…Chris Evans.”
“Look down this driveway. Oh, check it out! I think that’s her getting out of her car! Yep, that’s Charlize Theron!” (Upon seeing us, she ducked back into her car until our tour bus departed. That might have been her only chance to meet Fob!)
“Way down there in the valley…the big one…that’s Bruno Mar’s $18M mansion.”
“Up on that ridge, the big one on the left…Gwen Stefani’s mansion…used to be owned by J-Lo.”
“Off to the right…see those big gates? Behind that is the mansion where they tape The Bachelor.”
Larry Ellison’s daughters home (he founded Oracle)
This list went on and on…Tyler Perry, Adam Levine, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Warren Beatty, Sting, Justin Bieber, Donald Southerland, Jaclyn Smith, Lucille Ball, Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher, etc. As we drove through Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and other high class neighborhoods, I was struck by the over-the-top luxury and million dollar views. Janet and I discussed what it would be like to live like that…with a personal staff attending to every need and millions of adoring fans. Lush gardens, multi-level swimming pools, luxury cars, fountains…the entire world at your fingertips.
Bruno, I’m in town…call me.
It was impressive, to say the least. For a moment, I got caught up in it. I picked out my home…sorry, Bruno, you gotta move. I imagined living the celebrity lifestyle and having what they have. I’d get a daily massage, for sure. I’d drive a different high-end sports car every day of the week. Or maybe I’d have my chauffer drive me. (I’d probably keep the Honda Fit as a reminder of my humble beginnings.) My personal chef would fix all my favorite meals (OK, so I kinda have that now). My clothes would be designed by Ralph Lauren, rather than Bob Dorsey. No wonder these people are always smiling on the Red Carpet, happy to be alive.
I know you’re in there, Charlize!
My fantasy celebrity bubble burst towards the end of the tour. Our guide reminded us that things aren’t always as they seem…
“That mansion to the left…that’s where Michael Jackson lived. When he overdosed and died, they took his body by ambulance right through those gates.”
“Behind that hotel over there, the Chateau Marmont…see the bungalow behind it? That’s where John Belushi injected a mixture of cocaine and heroin…it killed him.”
“See that purple awning over there? That’s the Viper Room. River Phoenix died there of a drug overdose. Collapsed on the sidewalk just underneath the awning.”
“Off to the right…the glitzy Beverly Hilton. Fifteen years ago, in room 434, Whitney Houston overdosed and drowned in the bathtub.”
Had we had more time, I suppose we could have morbidly driven by the homes of other celebrities who died tragically…Heath Ledger, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elvis Presley, Amy Winehouse, Anna Nicole Smith, Nicole Brown Simpson, Chris Farley, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Prince, etc. An even longer list would include celebrity families ravaged by divorce, infidelity, and other issues.
I’m not suggesting there is anything wrong with being super wealthy, or that all (or even most) celebrities will overdose on drugs or have messed up families. There are good and decent celebrities…Tom Hanks comes to mind. Many of them give large sums of money to worthwhile causes…a good thing. I’m also not suggesting that normal, middle class people don’t have drug overdoses or messed up families. These problems affect all classes of society.
My point is simply this: be careful who and what you idolize. God doesn’t call us to be rich, famous celebrities. He calls us to be humble servants, taking care of the needs of others. While it’s possible to do both, that’s no easy task. No wonder Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:23) He didn’t say it was impossible…just hard. With so many distractions and so much luxury surrounding you, I can see where it might be hard to find a need for Jesus. With so many adoring fans and so much seemingly going for you, it might be hard to turn your life over to Jesus and let him call the shots.
If you’re not a follower of Jesus, then perhaps you’ll consider the words of a mere mortal who has “been there, done that.” Jim Carrey once commented, “I think everyone should get rich and famous and do everything they dreamed of so they can see it is not the answer.”
“The answer” is not found in an $18 million mansion on Mulholland Drive. The answer comes from Solomon, another rich man, in Ecclesiastes 12:13 – “Now all has been heard, here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.”
The LORD is My Sherpa ~ an aspiring thru-hiker’s perspective on Psalm 23
~ by Sir Fob W. Pot
The LORD is my Sherpa, my Leader, my Model, my Defender and my Protector. He hikes out in front of me, showing me the path to follow to reach the finish line and the crown that awaits. He hikes behind me, nudging and encouraging me to stay focused and to take it one step at a time. He walks beside me, as a friend, and we talk things out, like good friends do. He surrounds me with Trail Angels, both seen and unseen. I don’t want Him on my team; rather, I am on His team…a team that has already defeated Satan and this fallen world.
With Christ as my LORD, I have all that I need and many of the things I want. I trust that I’m better off without some of the things I want, as they might distract me from more godly pursuits. I need to keep my focus on Him, not the temporary trappings of this world.
Each and every evening, there is a safe place to lay my head. I may set up my tent in a green pasture or on a rocky mountaintop. Or perhaps I’ll find myself in a shelter, a hiker hostel, a hotel, a friend’s home, or even the loft of a barn. I may be alone or surrounded by others. It may be snowy, rainy, or sunny. Regardless, without fail, every night I am eventually safe, dry, and warm, and I thank God for that.
God has provided life-giving water. Sometimes the water is fast moving, a place to get good drinking water. Sometimes it is a hot shower, a place to wash my tired, dirty body. Sometimes the waters are calm, a place to fish, soak my feet, or just sit and reflect on this marvelous world He has created. I have been thirsty, but never for long. I have been hungry, but have never run out of food. God sustains me.
Each morning, I’m renewed and restored. I feel the prayers of family and friends that have been lifted up for me and my fellow hikers. I feel a sense of purpose that goes beyond just hiking miles. He has put me on this earth, and this amazing trail, with a mission in mind. Perhaps I can help someone to see that this incredible beauty and amazing design around us is the result not of chance, but the work of an amazing Designer. Perhaps today I can encourage someone with a kind word or good deed. Or maybe today I will be the one needing encouragement. Regardless, God will fill my soul today as only He can.
He leads me on the right, true path, because that path leads to Heaven, my final summit. Katahdin is a goal, a dream, and I hope to get there. But it is an earthly pursuit, with only temporal benefits. If I fail, so be it…most do. But Heaven! Majestic, glorious Heaven! May I always strive to follow His Holy Word, the Bible, as it provides the path, the white blazes if you will, that lead to that final golden summit and an eternity with Him! God’s Word teaches, comforts, instructs, rebukes, and challenges me. May I take its messages to heart and encourage those around me to follow it as well.
Even though I hike in and through some dangerous conditions…lightning storms, heavy rain, freezing temperatures, and searing heat…with bears, snakes, and ticks posing potential trouble, I’m not afraid of ANY of those things. God has my back. He comforts me. He calms me. He protects me. His Holy Spirit lives and moves and works within me. He’ll bring me home to heaven when He is good and ready and not one moment sooner. Even if tragedy were to strike me, do not worry about me, friends. All is well with me and will remain well with me. My future is secure.
There are a few enemies out here on the trail, or at least scoffers, who doubt my faith, reject God’s Word, and on occasion put temptations before me. God is there even then…especially then. He picks me up and dusts me off and forgives me when I fail.
God provides spray to prevent insect bites, ointment for scratches, sunscreen for protection, and bandages for blisters. Like His Word, they must be applied to be effective. I have all that I need, and then some, thanks to God.
As He has watched over me in the past and now on the Appalachian Trail, my hope and assurance is that He will be with me until the very end. I have experienced and benefitted from His goodness my whole life. He has shown mercy to me as a sinner in need of grace. I am sad that Christ so willingly paid my debt, but I am oh so thankful for it. May I show that appreciation in the way I live my life and treat others, even here on the trail.
And some day soon, may Christ return and bring me home, along with other Christians who have staked our hope and future and eternity on Him. We want nothing more or less than to live forever, together, in the home Christ has prepared for us. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
