VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
When I turned sixty I began a mini expedition of the Red River. I spent three and a half weeks alone on the river. I saw five humans in that span. I concluded my journey in Bossier City, Louisiana. I remember going into the hotel with my wife and the first thing my flesh desired was a glass of ice. Of all the luxuries in life, ice is the most wonderful to a body so dependent on water. I smiled over my ice and remembered how I had chosen the hottest summer in twenty-five years to have a little fun on the river.
I started the journey a little down river. Because of the intense heat and the prolonged draught, the river was low and slow. At first, it was difficult to find the river’s current and I ran aground many times. There is a lot of red sand in the Red River. I counted several companies who harvested sand and pebbles from its bottom. On two occasions I encountered quick sand, but fortunately I was dragging my canoe and used it to pry my body upwards. At the end of a most exhausting day, I made camp on a sand bar. It was at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit on the sandy surface. I would have preferred to have needed the rain fly. I sat under the mosquito netting aware of the pace of my heartbeat rate, mimicking the roll on a snare drum. No matter how relaxed, no matter what pace my breathing, the pace never slowed. MORTALITY
The wilderness can teach you many things. We are mammals and our survival advantage is that we can maintain a constant body temperature. Unfortunately, our bodies cannot withstand much change in internal temperature. My heart was trying maintain a constant internal temperature, beating rapidly to send blood to my extremities to exchange my body’s growing temperature for cooler temperatures outside; a futile endeavor when it is one hundred twenty plus. After a short while, a smile found place on my face, as I wondered how long it would be till someone found my body. Somehow the contemplation, under a star filled sky, allowed God to fill my soul with peace, a spark my sense of humor to laugh at the thought that I would not enjoy an open casket. I also found peace, slumber, and a new day.
That day I began by purifying water to replenish my supply. I fetched a stick on which I would perch my purification bag that would use gravity to pull fresh water out of the foul. Under the stick was a frog, still wet from the previous day’s swim. The wilderness spoke to me and I made a couple changes in my routine. First I realized that, like my frog, I would remain drenched throughout the day. Instead of dipping my hat in the river to cool my head, I filled it to the brim and anointed my body as needed. The second decision was to start my daily journey shortly before daybreak and complete my day’s journey by one o’clock. Then I would make camp, roll my canoe over, making it a stick for a big frog who enjoyed the shade. Every half I would drench myself in the river and return to lay beneath my stick until the hour before sunset. From that day forth, I learned the current and my journey was more wonderful than expected. God has created us for endurance, it is amazing what we might endure. Listen, the Holy Spirit is calling in the wilderness.
I started the journey a little down river. Because of the intense heat and the prolonged draught, the river was low and slow. At first, it was difficult to find the river’s current and I ran aground many times. There is a lot of red sand in the Red River. I counted several companies who harvested sand and pebbles from its bottom. On two occasions I encountered quick sand, but fortunately I was dragging my canoe and used it to pry my body upwards. At the end of a most exhausting day, I made camp on a sand bar. It was at least 120 degrees Fahrenheit on the sandy surface. I would have preferred to have needed the rain fly. I sat under the mosquito netting aware of the pace of my heartbeat rate, mimicking the roll on a snare drum. No matter how relaxed, no matter what pace my breathing, the pace never slowed. MORTALITY
The wilderness can teach you many things. We are mammals and our survival advantage is that we can maintain a constant body temperature. Unfortunately, our bodies cannot withstand much change in internal temperature. My heart was trying maintain a constant internal temperature, beating rapidly to send blood to my extremities to exchange my body’s growing temperature for cooler temperatures outside; a futile endeavor when it is one hundred twenty plus. After a short while, a smile found place on my face, as I wondered how long it would be till someone found my body. Somehow the contemplation, under a star filled sky, allowed God to fill my soul with peace, a spark my sense of humor to laugh at the thought that I would not enjoy an open casket. I also found peace, slumber, and a new day.
That day I began by purifying water to replenish my supply. I fetched a stick on which I would perch my purification bag that would use gravity to pull fresh water out of the foul. Under the stick was a frog, still wet from the previous day’s swim. The wilderness spoke to me and I made a couple changes in my routine. First I realized that, like my frog, I would remain drenched throughout the day. Instead of dipping my hat in the river to cool my head, I filled it to the brim and anointed my body as needed. The second decision was to start my daily journey shortly before daybreak and complete my day’s journey by one o’clock. Then I would make camp, roll my canoe over, making it a stick for a big frog who enjoyed the shade. Every half I would drench myself in the river and return to lay beneath my stick until the hour before sunset. From that day forth, I learned the current and my journey was more wonderful than expected. God has created us for endurance, it is amazing what we might endure. Listen, the Holy Spirit is calling in the wilderness.
TOMORROW BIBLE STORY
MORTALITY AND SURVIVAL
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