My friend Bob Barr works for the Au Sable Institute for Environmental Studies near Mancelona, Michigan. He often tells a personal story to show how, like many characters in the Bible, a sojourn in the wilderness can bring about spiritual healing. Here is his story:
He had returned from his tour of duty in Vietnam healthy in body, but he was wounded emotionally and spiritually. Although he was a follower of Christ, he felt estranged from his Creator and confused about what God was doing in his life—indeed, what God was doing in and with the world. He was angry and frustrated with God. Hoping to at least get relief from dwelling on this inner turmoil, he joined a group of friends on a backpacking trip into the mountains of Colorado.
While the excitement and toil of the trek distracted him temporarily from his spiritual struggle, the restlessness in his soul kept breaking through into his consciousness—compelling him one evening to go off alone into the alpine tundra that surrounded their campsite high above the tree line. Bob tells the story:
I remember walking away from the camp one evening and looking across a narrow valley. We were at 11,500 feet, camped at the foot of a sheer rock face that went up to 13,800 feet. The sun was beginning to set-filling the sky and landscape with spectacular colors-and I was struck by God’s power and the majesty of the world that He had created. Then my eyes were drawn down to my feet where tuffets of tundra grass were crowned with little flowers. On the side of one tuft was a little opening, and a small bird was nesting there- surrounded by beautiful white and blue wildflowers. As I bent down to look closer, the bird flew away leaving behind tiny eggs the size of jellybeans.
At once I was overwhelmed with God’s presence, thinking about His power and authority and majesty as the Creator of these mountains. He had created this vast vista
, but He also cared to create beautiful little flowers and these tiny birds to live in this harsh environment. They were nesting there very comfortably—God caring for the small things in the midst of this awesome bigness.
His presence then was so real to me that I still get emotional thinking about it more than 30 years later. I felt His presence so strongly that I couldn’t stand up. I was forced to my knees. And if you can hear an audible voice of God, I heard that voice, and His words to me were, “Bob, I am with you. And everything is okay.”
In the quiet wonder of a mountain wilderness, Bob discovered the presence of One who long ago had said, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). A sojourn in the wilderness produced, once again, the profound spiritual healing that so many followers of Christ have experienced over the centuries.
If you have not had an opportunity yet this spring to wander off in solitude into the wild, why not determine to do just that. Go with the prayer for God to speak to you and refresh or heal your soul. Jesus took sojourns into the wilderness to commune with the Father. I can’t think of a better Person to serve as my model, can you?
See you outdoors!
Dean
[Bob's story is found in the Discovery Series booklet "Celebrating the Wonder of Wilderness"]
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:52 am
Dean,
Yesterday, I drafted the devotional below, and the description of Bob Barr’s wilderness theophany seemed to correspond with the thoughts in the piece. We all need to go out and do more reading of the book of nature – the Author often shows up for a personal book signing!
Jerry L
DRIFTING AND LIFTING CLOUDS OUT OF THE GRAND CANYON
Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me if you know all this. Job 38:18
Gray clouds trailing veils of light snow scudded eastward as we looked down from the 7000-foot South Rim of the Grand Canyon. A chilling wind peppered our faces with wet snowflakes as swirls of clouds not only moved overhead, but also enveloped us and lifted from the canyon below. The snowy atmosphere added a dimension of mystery, quietness, and isolation to vastness of the Canyon. The insignificance of our ‘selves’ confronts us in such a rarefied atmosphere.
As thinking beings, we constantly struggle to make God somehow in our image and likeness when, in fact, his vastness, power, and majesty, if even glimpsed, would cause us to hide ourselves in the cleft of a rock (Ex. 33:22). Without God’s precious gift of Jesus there would be no way to make a personal, human connection with God the Omnipotent. Through our Savior, we know the God of love (1 Jn. 4:8). However, we also know that, in the words of C.S. Lewis, “he is not safe”. We remember that fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Pr 1:7) and that we must work out our salvation “with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12-13).
It might be helpful when we pray to imagine standing at the edge of an abyss like the Grand Canyon with the power of God present and swirling around us, yet we feel a comfort surrounded by all that power and mystery. The comfort is Jesus standing by our side, holding our hand, and telling us of Abba’s wild and unrelenting love.
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Beautiful, Jerry!
May 25th, 2009 at 6:57 am
Yes. I’ve heard this story I think from you before, Dean. A wonderful one, indeed.
Seems like when we get out into the wild we can end up being more taken up with God, and with God’s agenda. Whereas in the urban, suburban sprawl, and what not, it’s more about our own agendas, and busy lives.
We do need to take that time to observe and be in awe. Thanks again for reminding us!
May 26th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Just finished re-reading “Celebrating the Wonder of Wilderness”. That would make a great syllabus for a required course at every seminary. Imagine every pastor and preacher getting part of their education from a wilderness experience. I believe our churches would be re-vitalized.
I get revived in the wilderness. My wife’s family had a reunion this past week at a church camp setting in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Had a lot of good experiences there in spite of showers that prevailed. (Following the drought of much of the South these past few years, I will never complain about rainy weather again)
My son-in-law and I did some fly-fishing in our small NC streams which always pumps me up. (Actually catching a fish is a bonus!)
The time spent was wonderful. Not one phone call, not a television nearby, kids able to enjoy natural settings, the only nintendo came out close to bedtime, and they were too sleepy to do much of that.
A rustic chapel provided the setting for a great church service on Sunday, followed by a fried chicken dinner.
Today, am kind of a different person from the experience. Love the outdoors.
Bob