So, the first half of the camping trip was hiking, that was over. Then the second night we got to a camping site and would stay there for two days. NO MORE HIKING!!! Yay!! I was so ready to rest and enjoy the river and some sleep. The next day was perfect for that. We were to wake up and immediately split up, find a new camping site, and make camp for the next 24hrs. We were going to be by ourselves and spend the time alone with God. I had no phone. Not even a watch. Plus, the Lord wanted me to fast the day. It was going to be an interesting day.
The first thing I did was set my hammock up. Then I needed to build a fire. The day was spent just accomplishing one thing after another. Because I had no definite concept of time, I could not plan ahead and schedule anything. I just had to look at the next thing I had or wanted to do. I ended up enjoying the day greatly. I spent time with God in silence, took a nap, and never really felt hungry.
Before it got dark I decided to get to bed. I curled up in my hammock and just started listening. I listened to the crickets, the river, and all the nature around me. I realized I had made it through a day without human contact, without any concept of time, and without technology. It was a wonderful thought. As the light went away I looked up amidst the trees and watched as the stars came out. I saw the constellations form. Then the milky way started to appear. It was beautiful. As I saw the constellations I began to think of them as pictures in a connect the dots book.
You know those children’s coloring books with a page full of numbered dots. You begin at one, then look for two, then three and so on. Once you have completed the entire page, you look back and see the complete picture. If you had skipped eight through forty seven, then the image would be incomplete and not what it should be. You need to look for that next number and connect to it first.
Similarly, in your walk with Christ, you need to remember to look for the next step Jesus wants you to take. You may have a dream of opening a coffee shop in Malaysia. However, there are small steps along the way that you need to reach first before you can reach the final point. Like Jesus said, “I am a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path.” In that time a lamp was about as bright as a candle. It could only light your next step or so. He wants us to stay focused on the more immediate first.
So next time you want to jump ahead to reach your goal or don’t feel like doing something now to achieve your dream later, remember that you need to connect each step in your walk so when you reach the end you can look back and see what a beautiful work of art your struggles, successes, and everyday efforts made. It will be so worth it.
