The Journey

I have been on a multitude of hikes – through some of the most beautiful country on Earth – Grand Canyon, Yosemite NP, Zion NP, Garden of the Gods in CO, Smith Rock, Oregon, Acadia NP in Maine, the Ouachita Trail – I could go on but this post is not to extol my hiking career. One thing I have learned is that on many hikes, especially those in an inhospitable environment, one must be prepared and having a guide is sometimes indispensable.

They left their two young children with relatives and set off to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary at one of the most beautiful hiking destinations in the Southwest. (The Wave on the Utah-Arizona border) But just hours into Monday’s trek, 27-year-old Elisabeth Bervel died of cardiac arrest, becoming the third hiker in a month to succumb to the brutal summer heat and disorienting open country where no marked trail shows the way. (Associated Press)

Even with the best of plans, things get messy. I can certainly make that observation regarding our journey through life. When our planning there does not first lead us to the preparation required to live forever in the Kingdom of God, we will experience a fate infinitely worse than simply losing our Earthly life. God has given us the “guide” book, and the capacity of mankind to ignore it is legendary. Without it, we (read: our life) will surely be “lost.”