Today has been a day of recovery from yesterday’s hike. Still weak and slightly dehydrated, I chose to hang out around camp the whole day. I did take a couple of excursions to see where some roads lead and look for a proper fishing hole, but otherwise did very little that required much physical exertion (incidentally, I only found one place in the stream that potentially had fish, but probably not large enough to be worth the catch). Delicious French toast for breakfast, leftovers for lunch (campfire stew and chicken parmesan), and got dinner going in the solar oven. Unfortunately, when dinner came I still wasn’t very hungry so ate very little.
Pretty much all other campers had left by noon. There were just a few cars parked around that I assume represented day-hikers. By dinner time even they had left. As I was having dinner one more car came by asking me about the campground. Now they've left I am completely and absolutely alone. It’s wonderful! The frogs along the stream nearby are singing up a chorus and an owl in the distance chimes in occasionally. It’s peaceful. There’s something liberating about complete solitude! I feel like the whole forest is mine tonight!
Knowing I’d be alone from now on I made sure the car would start. How awful would it be to try to leave and the battery’s dead. No way!
So besides my cursory hikes and occasionally checking on dinner, I spent a good part of the day reading a book on the Kingdom of God titled “This Beautiful Mess.” Sheryl passed it on to me for the weekend. A very intriguing book! I really liked some of the perspectives presented, many of which specifically challenge the mentality of Western Christians. A lot of discussion on the Kingdom of God being present and active whether or not we’re aware of it. Other topics include the importance of relationship, stewardship of the earth, finances, and suffering for Christ. It all begins, however, with repentance. Repentance of attitudes, pre-conceptions, ignorance, selfishness, etc. It is only as we repent of these things will we start to see the Kingdom of God as it really is.
So my challenge today from this book was to start repenting. Regularly. And asking God to give me his perspective, his thoughts, his passions. It’s a tough thing to wait for God to tell you what you need to repent of. Not really the kind of thing you just happily do. It can be painful and forces you to make tough life changes. Like the rich young ruler who enthusiastically asked Jesus what he needed to do, and Jesus said to sell all his things, donate them to the poor, and follow him. The rich young ruler wasn’t prepared for that, and couldn’t do it. I pray God prepared me for whatever he reveals to me!
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