It is absolutely vital to be prepared when we go out into the wilderness. Some parks require specific tools and preparation – for example, a shovel and a bucket; or to carry a certain amount of water per person; or…
Awe and Humility
Last week, I wrote about how the wilderness leaves us in awe – a sense of reverential fear at something bigger than ourselves. I finished by saying, “We’re not afraid of a mountain view, but it humbles us and…
A Sense of Awe and Fear
Some of the places we go in the wilderness fill our hearts with wonder. Sometimes we are struck speechless by the sheer majesty of the view before us: the thick forest, the massive mountains, the sheer cliffs, the craggy peaks,…
Generously Compensated for Failure
A number of months ago, a social media friend posted a picture of a beautiful mountain scene. He wrote, “Hiking up from the Lake Louise ski hill in October in Banff National Park I had planned to go over…
Reason to Hope
We love to see God come through for us, to feel His presence. As the psalmist put it, “Better is one day in your courts [presence] than a thousand anywhere else” (Psalm 84:10). We long to feel God and His…
God Guiding Us
Last time, we talked about how God is with us all the time – both on the trail and if we get off the trail, guiding us back to the right path. Whether we can feel Him or not,…
God With Us
We’re celebrating Christmas in less than another week. It’s a very exciting time around here; so many piles of packages, the Christmas tree in the living room, not to mention Christmas baking, opening Christmas cards, singing Christmas carols, and reading…
Trusting God in the Wilderness
Another element of increasing our trust in God in the wilderness is the fact that there is so much outside of our control – the weather, the trail, wild animals, random hikers, and so on and so forth. There are…
The Wilderness Teaches Trust
The wilderness gives us an opportunity to learn to trust God, to trust others, and to trust ourselves. Last week, I wrote about my own crisis of trust on Mt. Agassiz. Sometimes we find the healing of former distrustful situations…
Learning to Trust
One day on our last trip to the western US, we decided to hike Mt. Agassiz. It’s a 12,400ft. peak in in the Uinta Mountains of Utah. The peak is best known for being climbed from Naturalist Basin, the premier…