A Necessity of the Human Spirit

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If you told me a few months ago that in September I would be driving through the Welsh countryside, hiking the biggest mountain in the country and feeling simultaneously the most exhausted and most exhilerated I've ever been, I probably would've said something along the lines of "do you even know me??"

You see, I like to talk about adventure, growth and "living life to the fullest," but as a creature of comfort, I've always tried to find ways to do these things while still staying relatively safe. What I've learned over the past few weeks, especially last week, is that it can't be done. If you want adventure and exhileration you must be pushed, prodded and at times shoved out of the proverbial "plane" because how else will you know that your parachute works, the rush that comes after the jump, and the feeling of accomplishment when you land safely on the ground?

The Lord has never been so real, so evident in His creation and so obvious in how much I need Him as during our team's "adventure week" in Wales. I felt mentally and physically exhausted (not to mention paranoid, as I knew our leaders were watching our every move to figure out who fell into what type of team-role, how we handle pressure, etc.), but the incredible part about feeling completely unable to rely on your own strength is that you have no choice but to rely on God's!

Being in the wilderness last week, with others as well as alone with the Lord, was absolutely a necessity for me. I know those are moments I will never forget, encounters with the Lord that will forever affect how I see/communicate with Him, and growth that has probably (hopefully) changed me as a person.

I agree with what Edward Abbey said and encourage all of you - if you haven't experienced your "wilderness" yet, whether it be mental, physical, what-have-you - find it. Seek it. Don't fear what your heart and spirit need - jump out of your "plane," whatever it may be, and as helpless as it feels at times, try to enjoy it. You'll see so much more fruit in that one moment than you did during millions of "safe" moments and, hopefully, God will be glorified in the process!!