The Adventure

This past weekend, I and six others had an adventure we will never forget, nor, I suppose, will anyone else who heard of it! It all began with an afternoon drive on the logging roads in the hills of western Polk county. Our plan was to go to Valley of the Giants for a hike, and return by evening. But when, after searching in vain for the locked gate our directions described, we suddenly came out at a paved road, our suspicions that we weren't going to find our destination were confirmed. The battered sign we found here informed us that we had come out on the other side of the coastal range, and were a mere 12 miles from Drift Creek Camp . . . and the Narrows trail.

Change of plans -- this was even better! We traveled the familiar road in merry wonder, and after informing our families of our unexpected new location, headed up the rigorous trail. An hour later, we were standing at the top, looking over the wooded hills at the line of ocean beyond. All seemed perfect -- I couldn't have asked for more. But little did we know that the adventure had just begun!

On the way back, somehow -- blame our haste, overconfidence, spring foliage rather than summer as we've formerly known it -- we got lost. Since we couldn't find the trail, we decided to make for the creek until darkness fell. We had a cell phone and were able to tell those back home that we were all right, but it was clear that we would be spending the night in the forest. We found a sheltered spot and built a fire, then crowded around it, praying, singing, and quoting scripture into the wee hours of the morning. I thought of how we've sent ourselves on many camps and retreats to grow in our walk with God, but God Himself took us on this one!

With the help of GPS coordinates from the cell phone, the friendly Search and Rescue team found us by mid-morning, and we were soon reunited with our families, who had also had a long night, but as we prayed, weren't too worried about us. It never rained on us . . . until the moment we left our little camp. We had so much to be thankful for, both in the woods and back at home -- God is good!

Now, no adventure is worth having if something is not gained or learned from it. I certainly gained some physical fitness and learned valuable survival skills, but I also grew in wisdom and appreciation for God's blessings . . .

1. Humility

Once again, I was reminded to watch out for pride. There was certainly no room for it as we all huddled together in the middle of the night -- there could be no blaming or striking out on our own ideas if we were all going to get out safely. We had to work together, each doing his own part to help the others. And foolishly loosing the trail was nothing to be proud of, either, even if it was what God had in mind for us. Pride is the fine line between confidence and cockiness.

2. The Value of Memorizing

The only Bible that I knew of among us was safe in my coat pocket . . . left back on the Narrows when we started getting too warm. So we had to rely on Scripture stored up in our minds. I was very thankful to have many chapters to share, and wished I had more. There is no encouragement like God's Word -- how sad it would be to be entirely without it just when you need it most!

3. The Blessing of God's Family

We knew that our families would be concerned for us, and figured that the church would be praying, but thanks to social media, just about everyone we knew found out before our return -- my mom was home taking calls all day, and I had e-mails from distant friends to answer. It was comforting to know that we had been surrounded by the prayers of hundreds of caring brothers and sisters in Christ. What a family!

4. God's Presence

As we prayed around our fire far from other human eyes, I felt God very near, and knew that even if we had vanished without a trace, He would still know exactly where we were. I didn't feel lost because He was there. Our purpose in life is to honor Him, and that is just as easily fulfilled where only He can see it. Indeed, it's often easier to do that when we're not concerned with the normal life of mankind. God always sees us, wherever we may be on this vast earth.

5. God Does More Than We Ask

A few months ago, I was longing for a Narrows hike, but of course, it was impossible then. Now, when I least expected it, God gave me what I wished for, along with extended time with Him and dear brothers and sisters out in the coastal forest. Be careful what you wish for -- God remembers! I'm so thankful that He overrides our mediocre plans for the sake of His perfect ones. Letting Him take control is truly an adventure!