One of the reasons that I love wilderness ministry so much is the near-endless metaphors I see for life. One of my dear friends has worked as a guide at YoungLife Wilderness Ranch, and I think they say it well: "Life is like the trail, and the trail is like life."
One of the reminders I need most consistently is that of daily dependence. The truth of it is, we were never made to be "one and done" creatures. Our bodies aren't made that way, our hearts aren't made that way, our spirits aren't made that way. I get this reminder frequently in the wilderness when I have to remind myself (and others) to be continually sipping from water bottles. To be frank, staying hydrated can be incredibly inconvenient. I have to stop, dig out my water bottle, catch my breath, and try to sip carefully without dumping it all over myself. (Okay, so it doesn't sound all that bad...but think about trying to drink from a full wide-mouthed Nalgene with a fully-loaded 85L pack on without losing your balance on a narrow, rocky trail.) Not only that, but I have to make these stops frequently. How much more convenient it would be to chug one or two water bottles with breakfast before hitting the trail and have that hydrate me for the day! Unfortunately, our bodies can usually only process about a quarter of a gallon every hour; that's a maximum of 4 cups of water per hour. Drinking a ton of water all at once won't really benefit me much at all, and it will mostly just pass through my system...leading to other inconveniences along the hike. It's much more beneficial to be taking small sips here and there throughout the day. (Thus the glorious invention of the hydration bladder!)
As we say on the trail, "sip, don't guzzle."
It's easy for me to slip into the habit of working off my own strength during the week (or month...or year...) and fooling myself into thinking that I'll "catch up" with Jesus eventually. When I invariably get behind on a year-long Bible reading plan, I brush it off with the thought that I'll just cram all of the week's readings in over the weekend. If I haven't been spending regular time in prayer, I tell myself that I'll dedicate hours to journal and pray sometime soon...eventually. (Here's hoping I don't try and extend this mentality to fasting...) Sometimes in my 'urgent' mentality, staying dependent on the Lord can seem incredibly inconvenient. I have to stop what I'm doing, dig out my Bible or my journal, carve time out of my too-hurried schedule, and sit and be quiet and wait on Jesus. Not only that, but I have to remind myself to stop and be still frequently. It would be so much more convenient to be able to just load up my spirit on time with the Lord and have that carry me through until I feel thirsty again! Inconveniently, my spirit needs more than just a 'one and done' relationship with the Lord. Fortunately, He is not satisfied with just my weekends or the time that deem free enough to spend with Him. Christ wants all of my life, and He wants me to invite Him into every corner.
In my relationship with Christ, I need to fight against the instinct to guzzle. I benefit so much more from taking "sips" throughout the day: listening to Scripture while at work, finding things to thank Him for throughout the day, stopping to see the sunrise or set while marveling at His colors painted on the clouds, praying for students before making course check-in calls, spending mornings reading from His Word, journaling regularly, praying without ceasing. These are all things that I wish I could say I did with regularity. I wish I could say that I don't see this ongoing need as an inconvenience, or worse, as a challenge to my independence. ("You're telling me I need You every minute of every day? I bet I don't! I bet I can do it all by myself!")
If I refuse to acknowledge my need for water along the trail, I grow weak, get headaches, and become a liability to my travel group. If I refuse to acknowledge my need for Christ throughout my day, I burn out, become irritable and frustrated, and grow distant from the community around me. If I try to guzzle too much water at once, it passes uselessly through my system and makes me have to pee a lot. If I try to cram all of my time with Jesus into a few short hours once or twice a week, I don't really retain anything and end up not really seeing how He wants to change my habits and thought patterns.
Lord, give me the grace to sip from Your Word throughout the day. Remind me of how You are the only one that truly satisfies my thirst. Let me see this ongoing need for You as a blessing rather than an inconvenience. Let me be like a tree planted by streams of water, constantly soaking You in and growing in You. Guard me against self-dependence and free me from the busyness I so eagerly embrace. Give me quiet times with You, and may I be satisfied only by You.
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