Have you ever been camping? Join our “Advent Adventure” today for another episode in learning to depend more fully on God.
This year, my son John and his family bought their first tent. They went camping in a state park. They hiked to a nearby waterfall. That evening, the family sat around the fire and enjoyed s’mores. My experience was a bit different in Chiapas, Mexico.
On our first overnight trek away from base camp, rain poured down the entire time. After a 25-mile hike through mud, we set up a temporary camp at Naja. We had to hang our jungle hammocks before we could call it a day. These canvas and mosquito net contraptions came rolled up in a compact bundle, but you needed to use a machete and cut branches of various sizes to slip through pockets for assembly. Once I had everything ready, I still had to tie the hammock to two strong trees, high enough to be out of the mud, low enough to climb inside. Can you imagine doing all this in the dark, in pouring rain, after an exhausting hike? And when I was done? I discovered that the zipper on my mosquito netting was stuck!
Yet, I remember that night being glad that God had brought me to that place. No experience in the States ever taught me so much about relying on God’s care as this training program. I found myself forced to lean on the Lord for strength at every turn in the road. I could recite Psalm 23 with new passion: “The Lord is my shepherd. I have everything I need.”
In Heaven, Jesus had no need to lean on others for help. But when he came to earth as a newborn, he was completely helpless. As an infant, he had to trust that Mary would provide food and warmth. He couldn’t even walk on his own; Joseph had to carry him from place to place. The Son of God had to rely on others daily.
Take a moment and look around your room. You have a roof over your head. You are wearing clothes. Is your tummy full? In what ways do you need to rely on the Lord today?
