By: Julianna I was leaning back in a booth at Panera the other day, waiting to have dinner with a friend at church. I had my Bible out on the table and was pouring over 1 Peter when I saw them: three girls chatting happily, indistinguishable from any other college-age girls besides their black and silver hijabs, draped gracefully around their faces. I watched out of the corner of my eye as they ordered their food, met up with another friend, and settled down at another booth around the corner. I should go talk to them, I thought. Or was it the Spirit urging? It was one of those moments when every obstacle real or imagined comes flooding into your mind. I’m too tired. I’m reading my Bible. My friend is about to come. Whatever am I supposed to say? After a few moments of arguing with myself, I got up, put on my mask, and walked over. Of course, half of the challenge of meeting new people is overcome by simply smiling at them. But I couldn’t because I had a mask. But not wanting to offend them either, I pulled off my mask from one ear and left it dangling … I suppose to be able to smile at them while also showing them that I didn’t want to get them sick! We chatted about life. They were native Coloradans, as am I. Two of them were going to school for biology. I never had a chance to mention the Lord, which I regret, although they did later come up to me and thank me for starting up a conversation. Though I’m still not sure why the Lord wanted me to talk to those Muslim girls that day, the experience reminded me how crucial it is that I remain constantly available to the Lord. While I’m thankful I listened to his prompting, how many times have I missed opportunities because either my busyness or fear kept me from being truly available? You know God is trying to teach you a lesson when it shows up everywhere. My little devotional from MacArthur I read each morning asked me that very question: Are you available to the Lord? A sermon my sisters and I listened to while making breakfast challenged me: Am I willing to leave anything to serve Him, to be available whenever, wherever He sends? Then, a friend shared with me how ministry often means your job description is simply “Available to the Lord.” All when the world clamors for important-sounding titles and life ambitions. But often, the work to which God calls us does not fit into their neat little box. How can a stay-at-home mom describe the hundred ways she daily ministers to her husband and children simply by making herself available? Nor is that same kind of availability limited to moms. Local churches need servants willing to pick up and help a single mom move, meet with a troubled teenage girl, or bring a meal to a family with a new baby. As Rosaria Butterfield puts it in The Gospel Comes with a House Key, serving (particularly in the context of hospitality) requires the beautiful balance of both organization and availability, planning and flexibility: “The list making and grocery shopping make me small, meager, messy. It ties me to home and hearth and budget keeping. This busy preparation for table fellowship that comes daily, and where Jesus lays his head, requires 50 percent prayer, 40 percent organization, and 10 percent hutzpah.” In other words, being available to the Lord—whether it be through the ministry of hospitality or anything else—isn’t merely a mystical, spiritual heart-thing. Yes, the key to remaining available with the Lord is to nurture a sensitive heart for his leading–and then obey when he does lead! But more practically, availability requires me to both hold my schedule with an open hand and be willing to schedule in serving others. There are days I need to surrender my untouched to-do-lists when I simply need to be available to serve. And there are days when I need to make a to-do-list to ensure that service actually happens. But in the end, the heart must be obedience flowing out of a gospel-saturated life ready to serve whoever God brings my way—my family, my church body, my neighbors, or even random girls wearing hijabs sitting in a Panera! This post originally appeared on Julianna's blog, Whole Hearted (which you can find here). You can find this specific post by going to https://juliannawrites.blog/2021/03/23/hijabs-in-panera-a-journey-of-learning-to-be-available-to-the-lord/. I'd love to hear from you! What are some ways you can be available to help serve others in your life for Christ? Tell me in the comments below!
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By: Guest blogger ~ Hilary Osborne Hey y'all! I'm so excited to have a guest blog by Hilary Osborne today! Last Sunday, I heard her give this testimony at the church I go to, and the truths God shared through this testimony got me thinking about my own doubts about my salvation and the truth He has showed me in His Word. (If you're struggling with this, check out Romans 5!) Below are the notes from Mrs. Osborne's testimony, and at the bottom of the post, you can listen to/watch her share it during the service! Thanks so much! - Chris V P.S.- For legal reasons, the lyrics to "Magnificent Obsession" by Steven Curtis Chapman couldn't be posted, however, the post has a link to a site that has the lyrics on it. Check out the first, second, fifth, and sixth paragraph in the song to read some of the words! This is not a testimony about my salvation, but you could term it as a renewal of sorts. Here’s why:
If you want the easy route, don’t pray this.
I. Was. Terrified. that God would cut me off at any time.
I felt so betrayed by my heavenly Father and thought I was losing my mind.
For the next 15 years, I questioned my salvation. I wondered if I would make it to Glory. And I couldn’t stop wondering if God even loved me.
What did I learn from all this?
One final note:
I want to finish with Psalm 34:1-10: I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2 My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together! 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed. 6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! 9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! 10 The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Check out the video below to hear/watch Hilary Osborne's testimony! [Start time: 27:52; End time: 38:56]. (Also, feel free to watch the whole service, which was about the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4!) I'd love to hear from you! What aresome questions that you have struggled with about your faith and salvation? What has God taught you about it? (If you are still struggling with those questions, ask a saved parent, grandparent, pastor, or youth leader about it!) Tell me in the comments below!
By: Julianna Merry Christmas, guys! I just wanted to pop in real quick and tell you about something super cool! Are you ready? Julianna has been writing some amazing advent blog posts on her blog Whole Hearted! I highly encourage you to check them out after reading this repost from her series of advent posts. You can find them here. Happy reading! - Chris V The Christmas story—the overflowing inn, the manger, the shepherds—would be just another historic tale if it weren’t for the message of the gospel it embodies. The gospel is a reality that is an actual event in history, a birth, life, death, and resurrection that occurred in real space and real time. But it is also a present reality that rescues us from bondage to sin, brings hope, and continues to strengthen believers every day of their lives. Without the gospel, Christmas is just another day off work, time with family, or excuse to party. Without the gospel, Christmas leaves us unfulfilled, empty, searching for the next thing to satisfy. Without the gospel, Christmas means nothing. The gospel is ‘good news,’ but good news that begins with the stark reality of our identity as fallen, rebels at enmity with the God we were created to adore. Nor is this merely a collective identity—it eats away at the core of who each one of us are. We are unrighteous, without understanding, and with no desire to seek after God (Rom. 3:11). Nothing we do is good, for our very best actions are tainted by sin (Rom. 3:12). In short, “all of our righteousness is as filthy rags,” there is nothing we can do to repair our broken relationship with our Creator, and our state of rebellion against a holy God merits nothing but his eternal wrath (Rom. 6:23). But God stepped in. Before time began, he planned to send his Son into the world—God made flesh—to live a perfect life, die in our place, and rise again, promising us new life. He took our sin upon Himself, taking all the wrath of God poured upon him for our sin and crediting us with his perfect righteousness. No longer do we have to endeavor to work our way to please God, for the effort is impossible. Every religion of the world boils down to man creating systems to make himself right with God, but the gospel is the direct opposite. Instead of man reaching out toward God through prayers, church attendance, pilgrimages, penance, and a host of religiosity, the gospel declares that man is dead in sin and doesn’t even want to know the true God. But by God’s grace, his Spirit chooses to work in our hearts, awakening in us the ability to look to Christ’s finished work on the cross through faith, repent of our sin, and fully trust in what He has done. This message—the gospel—is profound enough to spend a lifetime pondering but simple enough for a child to grasp. It’s a reality that in an instance rebirths the sinner into a new person, a child of God with a new heart and new desires. But it also gives hope, strength, and transformation every day of our lives. This Christmas, embrace the gospel. Whether for the first time or for the thousandth, its beauty will never grow old, its balm never less applicable. I’d encourage you to take a few minutes to watch this powerful reminder of the gospel’s effects: This original post can be found on Julianna's blog, Whole Hearted, at juliannawrites.blog/2020/11/30/day-2-advent-and-the-gospel/ .
By: Chris V It's so hard to believe it's only a few days until we reach December! (And only 27 more days until Christmas!) For me, I know that I can easily lose sight of the reason for the season (Jesus Christ) with all of the stress and busyness that comes with the Christmas season. Can you relate? That's why we made a (free!) December Bible Reading plan (which can be found, downloaded, and printed out below). Regularly reading your Bible can keep your heart and mind more focused on Christ, so I want to challenge you to set aside some time each day to get into God's Word and spend time just focusing on Him. No phone. No interruptions or demands. Just time with God. Read each section in your Bible (shown on the sheet) for each day of the month. I hope you take some time during this holiday season to reflect, rest, and celebrate Jesus's birth, death, and resurrection for all of us because of our sin. Dig deep into the reason for this holiday season!
By: Chris V Sometimes, it's really hard to feel thankful. (Especially when everything this year seems to have gone wrong!) It's definitely not easy to "Give thanks always..." like the Bible commands us to in Ephesians 5:20 when things aren't going the way we want them too and/or are going through various trials in our lives. But we want to follow commands that the Bible tells us, right? God has blessed us with so many things: each day we live, the technology you're using to read this post right now, and most importantly His grace, mercy, and love He has shown us by sending His Son Jesus into the world to take the punishment (God's wrath) that we deserve for sin. (To learn more about this, check out this article by John Piper here.) So how can we portray our thankfulness for what we have? How can we possibly become more thankful for the things around us? Check out the four ideas below: 1. Pray A Prayer of Thanks Praying to God and thanking Him for what He has provided and given you is a great way to give thanks and praise to God! We see David do this throughout the Psalms. One of my favorite Psalms to read/ pray to God is Psalms 138, where David thanks God and praises Him for the faith, strength, and provision he (David) has. I highly encourage you to read this psalm this Thanksgiving, along with Psalms 136 and Philippians 4. 2. Make A List of Five Things You're Thankful For This is one thing I do every day to try to keep my mind and heart thankful. I have a notebook that I write down five new things I'm thankful for each day in, and overall, it has made me thankful for the people, places, and things God has given me. After I'm done writing down five things I'm thankful for, I pray over those five things and thank God for them. 3. Thank others for what they do Are you thankful that your mom makes dinner for you, or that someone helped you with difficult work? Maybe for the person working the drive-thru at Chick-fil-a? Tell them thank you! (And be sure to thank God for that person He put in your life too!) 4. Be ThankFul For The Little Things It sometimes seems easier to be thankful for only the big things, right? Things like a new car, family members, and somewhere to live are all amazing things we definitely should be thanking God for! But what about the smaller things we often take for granted in everyday life, like each breath that God gives you (Ezekiel 37:5, Job 33:4). Thank God for all the small (and big) things in your daily life! Give Thanks And Praise To God this Thanksgiving. Psalms 150:6 says "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!". One way we can praise the Lord in our daily lives is through giving thanks to Him for the blessings He has given us. Take a moment to pray and thank Him for the blessings and people He has put in your life.
We want to hear from you! What are five things you are thankful for? What are other ways you can be more thankful in everyday life? Tell us in the comments section below! By: Chris V I've been feeling super worn down lately. I don't know if it's the stress of the new school year, still having to do online school, or all the crazy, freaky stuff going on in the world. But I do know one thing: I've been feeling kind of weak. And when talking to my friends, classmates, and people who go to my church, I realized I wasn't the only one who felt this way! This past week, I was reminded that all strength comes from God, period. So, today I wanted to share a few verses I discovered when I was going through my daily quiet time this week. Check them out below! 1. Psalm 28:7"The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him." --------------------------------------------------- 2. Isaiah 40:31"But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." --------------------------------------------------- 3. Matthew 11:28-30"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." ----------------------------------------------------- 4. Jeremiah 31:25"For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish." ----------------------------------------------------- 5. Isaiah 41:10"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." ----------------------------------------------------- Pray For Strength Praying for strength and giving your burdens to God is an amazing thing! If you struggle with a lot of stress, I highly encourage you to pray about what is stressing you out. I was once given an example by an older Christian woman: go outside and find a rock. Take that rock, hold is out in front of you, and tell God "This is [insert what you're stressing about here]. I give it over to you Lord." Then drop the rock, or even throw it! Don't ever take back that stress.
Praying for strength also shows a dependence on God. We can't get anywhere in this life without God's help. Anywhere. We need God every single day of our lives; our sinful selves can't make it on our own in this sinful world. God knew this, which is why He sent His Son,Jesus, into this world in order to save us (He loves us so much! Check out John 3:16!). Jesus, the only perfect person in history, took God's wrath that was meant for us when he died on the cross, and he conquered death when He rose from the grave. How cool is that?!?! We matter so much to our heavenly Father, and He cares and takes on our burdens and struggles. Have you placed your trust in Jesus yet? (To learn more about the gospel and putting your faith in Jesus, check out this article here.) I hope y'all found these verses encouraging! Let me know in the comments below if there are any verses that encourage you when you feel weary! -Chris V We'd love to hear from you! What verses have you found encouraging when you've felt weary? Let us know in the comments below! By: Guest Blogger~ Hannah MariePrayer is so important in a believer’s walk. It is our way of communicating with God, asking Him for things, and worshiping Him with our words. Although this is so important, many believers have difficulty praying or keeping up a regular prayer life. I know that I am guilt of this myself. But praying to the Lord should not be difficult.It doesn’t have to be anything special or fancy. And you don’t need to feel intimidated if someone prays differently than you do. Every person has their own relationship with the Lord.If you struggle with your prayer life in any way, I hope that these five tips will help you. These are a few things that I have put into practice, and they have helped me to keep my prayer life more consistent. So here are five practical ways to improve your prayer life: 1. Keep a Prayer Journal.This is truthfully one of my favorite ways to pray. It helps me to stay focused as I write out my prayers to the Lord. And it allows me to look back on my prayers and how God has answered them. Keeping a prayer journal really isn’t hard. You can just grab a notebook and start jotting down your requests or write in a form of a letter. There are so many different options so choose something that is familiar to you. 2. Pray For Others.As believers, we live in a community with brothers and sisters in the Messiah. And it so important that we pray for those around us whether they are our family, friends, fellow believers, or complete strangers. Praying for others is very important as a believer. I like to keep a list of people that I know that I want to pray for. And if someone asks me to pray for them or I hear of someone who needs prayer I will jot them down on the list. 3. Use The Scripture.This is another one of my favorite ways to pray. God loves to hear His Words spoken back to Him. And praying Scripture is a great way to do so. Open your Bible to a passage, I love to choose a Psalm, and read it. Then go back and read it replacing “I” in places to make it more personal. Praying Scripture this way not only lets you pray God’s Word back to Him but also let you connect with Scripture on a different level. 4. Go on a Prayer Walk.This is something that I rarely do but really enjoy it when I do have the time. Going on a prayer walk is a different way to pray. As you walk thank God for His creation and His amazing power. Pray for others. And just speak to God like you were walking and talking with a friend. 5. Set Reminders.Having alarms set to remind you to pray may seem unnecessary. But if you have a hard time remembering to pray regularly and stay consistent, this will really help you. Start by setting reminders for a few times during the day when it may be easier to stop and pray (lunch break, after work, before bed, etc). This will really help you to remember to pray consistently as you go throughout your day. Praying to the Lord doesn’t have to be difficult if you take it step by step.These five tips will help you keep consistency in your prayer life. But you still must have a sincere desire to pray and communicate with the Lord. In His amazing love, Hannah Marie You can find the original post on Hannah's blog, His Fireflies, at https://hisfireflies.com/5-practical-ways-to-improve-your-prayer-life/. Check out Hannah's amazing blog at https://hisfireflies.com/! You can also check out her Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/hisfireflies/. We'd love to hear from you! What are some ways you stay consistent in your prayer life? Tell us in the comments below! By: Chris V One of the ways I LOVE to serve the body of Christ is by sharing the gospel with others! Sharing the gospel is an important part of the Christian life because it allows others to hear about the good news, our hope Jesus Christ. The Bible even commands us to share the gospel in Mark 16:15 (NIV): "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation". How exactly do we proclaim God's Word to the world? One way we can do that is through evangelism, which, according to Dictionary.com, is "The preaching or promulgation of the gospel...". So, how exactly can we evangelize in our day to day lives? Check out these five ideas below: 1. Share The Gospel With a Friend Sharing the gospel with a friend is an incredible way to share your faith (and for them to get to know you!). Now, some of you may be thinking, "Wait Chris! What if my friend doesn't want to be friends anymore once they find out I'm a Christian?" or "What if I'm not popular after this friend tells other people I'm a Christian?" If we were having coffee together right now, I would pull out my Bible and turn to John 15:18-19, which says "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you...but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you". This verse may not sound super encouraging at the moment, but let me ask you a question: is your friend and/or popularity more important than your faith and love for Jesus Christ? Is it worth denying Jesus, your Savior to "fit in" with the people around you? (Check out Peter's story about denying Jesus in Luke 22:54-62.) I don't think fleeting popularity is worth it- do you? 2. Speak Up In Class If you're like me, speaking up in class to share your faith in Christ may be a bit terrifying! Don't worry- God's with you every step of the way! Joshua 1:9 (NIV) tells us "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go". If something said in class goes against what the Bible says, speak up! Share your faith in Christ with your class! One "classic" example of this is when learning about things like evolution and/or the big bang theory in science class. Oftentimes, you hear of students speaking up about their faith and how they believe how the world was created as told in the Bible (Genesis 1-2). I think that there's nothing wrong with that- it brings glory to God! Keep in mind, though, to respect your teacher and other authorities when doing so (Romans 13:1-2). 3. Hand Out Tracts To Others While this idea can be a bit awkward, it is definitely worth it! Sharing the gospel with complete strangers is BY FAR one of my favorite ways to evangelize. One of the number one things I hear from other people is that they have no idea what to say. Don't worry- the Holy Spirit has your back! In Luke 12:11-12 (NIV), we're told "When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say". One final thing: safety is key. When sharing the gospel, make sure you're doing so with a group of others. Also, ask your parents before doing this and make sure they are comfortable with you talking to complete strangers. 4. Invite Others To Church And/Or Your Youth Group Taking someone to church/ youth group with you is a great way for them to hear the gospel! That person will also be able to see what it's like in a Christ-centered community, and may be curious to learn more! (Note: Be prepared to answer questions about why you do things like communion, pray, etc.) 5. Follow God's Commands We are told actions speak louder than words- and that can sometimes be true! When you follow and obey God's commands in the Bible, you are glorifying Him and modeling what Christ looks like. When you avoid sinful activities that go against God's Word, people may start wondering what's up and what makes you different from others. (And that's a good thing!) You have incredible opportunities to share your faith with others just by the way you act. It may open doors to share your faith with unbelievers! Pray For Courage Sometimes, evangelism isn't the easiest thing to do- in fact, it can be quite terrifying! Don't listen to that fear! Go to God- He promises to be with you and give you the strength you need (Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 28:7). Be like the believers in Acts 5, where they pray "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness" (Acts 5:29). This week, I want to challenge you to pray for courage to share the gospel with others. Who knows? God may use you to bring someone to Him through Christ!
We'd love to hear from you! What are some other ways you can evangelize to others this week? Tell us in the comments below! By: Julianna “He seemed to live in such a real world and to have such a real, great God.”
Such was Maria Dyer’s observation upon meeting her would-be husband, the great pioneer missionary to China, Hudson Taylor. I haven’t been able to shake off those words. They strike deeply into the heart of the theme written across all of Taylor’s life, one that I was beginning to grasp as I pored through his biography but couldn’t put into words until I stumbled across this quote. They encapsulate a life steeped in prayer and faith by pointing powerfully to the result: the way he lived out day-to-day life. He lived in a real world. So often I find myself segregating the reality of God from the mundane reality of life. I relegate my faith to my morning quiet time, evening Bible studies, or Sunday mornings instead of making Christ the reality through which I see every moment. But what this separation produces is a world that is, in my experience, less real. Let me explain. I’m learning more and more that when Christ is an ever present reality to me, the rest of life becomes more real in my experience. I notice the birds singing as I walk to class. I stop and admire the sunset. And I relish the everyday blessings of an encouraging talk with a friend, time to sing with my sisters, or a rare chance to curl up with a good book. The joy comes not merely from experiencing the reality of these gifts but all the more from the ongoing fellowship I have with the Giver. Even more, fellowship with Christ enables me to face the stark reality of the future with boldness and even laughter (Prov. 31:25). The Bible doesn’t promise that life will be easy, that my circumstances will change, or that my dreams will come true. But instead of having to escape difficulty in my life, I can live in a real world — be it a real world marked by suffering as well as blessing — with complete confidence that my Redeemer is just as real and present as the challenges I face. How did Hudson Taylor come to so experience the reality of God? Interestingly, this theme shows up earlier in Taylor’s life when as a nineteen-year-old he lost a relationship with the young woman he loved because of his call to China. The decision marked a time of new consecration in his life, and shortly afterward, he recorded in his journal: “Unspeakable joy, all day long and every day was my happy experience. God, even my God, was a living, bright Reality, and all I had to do was joyful service.” Do such sacrifices make God the more real to us? It certainly was the case for Hudson Taylor. Taylor learned early on that as He lived and breathed a life of prayer, every sacrifice could hardly be considered a sacrifice when compared with the infinite retribution he met with: more of God Himself. In other words, counting all things as loss compared to knowing Christ (Phil. 3:8) made Christ more real to him than anything else. Which in turn made the world around him more real. When the enmity between God and me was removed through Christ, I gained a transforming peace. Even more, I gained the right to access fellowship with this altogether lovely Christ every moment of every day. When I allow that truth to sink in, it changes the way I see the world around me. The old hymn, “Loved with Everlasting Love” says it best: Heaven above is softer blue, Earth around is sweeter green; Something lives in every hue Christless eyes have never seen: Birds with gladder songs o’erflow, Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine, Since I know, as now I know, I am His, and He is mine. This year, my prayer is that I would better know the reality of Christ — and in turn, fully live in the real world around me. Will you join me in that prayer? Your sister in Christ, – Julianna The original post appears on Julianna's blog, called Whole Hearted, at https://juliannawrites.blog/2020/01/08/a-real-world-and-a-real-god/ By: Julianna We had just thrown down our backpacks and starting strapping on our snowshoes when the weight of our situation first hit. We had decided to snowshoe up to Crater Lake that day in an attempt to reach one of the top photography spots in Colorado. The last All Trails entry informed us that as long as we had snowshoes, there should be no problem. The trail was beautiful, winding its way along the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, cragged mountains accented by streaks of melting snow and ice accenting their peaks. The forest itself was alive with the sound of spring in the Rockies, icicles dripping, water pouring down from every rock ledge, into gurgling streams, and dashing over breathtaking waterfalls. After the first few miles, the trail became increasingly difficult, and our feet fell through the melting snow every ten feet or so, but it was nothing I hadn’t faced before. It wasn’t until we passed a few other couples about eight miles in that I realized we were up against a true challenge. Our interactions with them were short, and they looked at us with blank, dead tired faces. But their words were always encouraging, “the lake’s only a mile and a half up!” or “You should have no problem with those snowshoes and a group that size.” So we pressed on. And with every strain to lift a snowshoe, I became more determined. We were going to make it. We’d done too much work to back down now. (And, if I can only get to the lake, I can dry my socks!) Two miles after we passed our last fellow hikers, a couple who had turned around and decided to camp there for the night, we still had not reached Crater Lake. My youngest sister and I continued to trudge on, occasionally stopping to wait for my sister and our friend and offer more words of determination. “Guys, it can’t be that far! We will make it.” We did — although it took some convincing for me to even realize the hollowed out portion of the forest covered by feet of snow was a lake. It was 6:30, and the sun was just beginning to disappear behind the cathedral spires of mountain towering over us. With dry socks and jerky, everything felt better, and we determined that if we make all speed back to ensure we passed the snowshoe portion of the hike before dark, we would be safe. A few miles along the winding trail in the dusk — or even with the full moon — would hardly be a challenge, so we thought. We were just about to take off our snowshoes after the last of the deep snow when I noticed a sudden, visible change. It was no longer dusk. It was dark. Unbuckling our snowshoes, we began to shake off the ice and adjust our shoes for the most comfort possible considering their soaked state. That was the first time I realized our situation was serious. It was growing dark rapidly, with no moon in sight. Our feet were soaked to saturation point—I had been sloshing around in ¼ in of water from the melted snow that had made its way into my boots each time my snowshoes potholed into the three-to-five foot mounds of melting snow. Our phone batteries were dead. We had no flashlight. No dry socks. No gloves, hats, or winter coats. We were stuck. But I didn’t have time to contemplate the situation. As soon as we had sat down to invent a new way to jerry rig straps for our snowshoes, my youngest sister started going into shock. She had already hiked sixteen miles, trudged up hills in snowshoes, and carried a significant weight of supplies on her back. With any other girl, I would have right then given up on making it down the mountain that night. But I knew Lexi: she possesses an inner strength, perseverance, and determination unlike any other girl I know. So we prayed, and encouraged her to press on, desperate to get to our car before search and rescue came looking for us. That was when we started singing. I think it was my sister Ella’s idea. We had determined in our quick prayer and survival meeting that the only way we would survive the trek down was to stay close together. Our friend had pulled out his Nikon camera and was using the screen as a light to illuminate a few feet of the trail at a time, just enough to discern the next few footprints ahead of us. We put Lexi in the middle and Ella and I trailed at the end, tasked with making as much noise as we could to scare off any mountain lions. We started singing hymns, as loud as we could between our heavy breathing and passing off to each other warnings of treacherous rocks and trees looming in the path. We mustered our best attempt at King Alfred’s War Song (a versification of Ps. 91) and started loudly reciting Psalm 91 for good measure. For miles, we trudged on, dodging rocks and roots, reciting Scripture, and singing. Sometimes it was only Ella singing, the rest of us exerting all our energy to just keep walking. I smile now looking back at the irony of some of our songs: a three-part harmony to Joy to the World, the First Noel, and odd conglomerations of praise songs and ancient hymns. But in the moment, the irony was dimmed by what felt most natural. We were in a literal dark wilderness, quickly losing strength, and there was nothing more natural than to cry out to God, rehearse His promises, and feel His presence. It was on that mercilessly long, seven-mile trek in the dark, stumbling along trying to see just enough ahead to avoid the next rock that my determination, my own inner strength I had been proud of on our trek up, began to dissipate. We had definitely discovered we were not invincible! I was too tired at the moment to understand all that God was doing in my heart, but He was beginning to eat away Julianna’s strength and replacing it with His own. All along that lonely trek back, the final stumbling into our car right as search and rescue was pulling up, the dream-like three-hour drive home, a question was whirling in my mind. I was humbled. What I thought was determination to accomplish a goal had caused havoc: suffering for my sisters and our family friend, and even worse, trauma for my family and friends who had spent most of the night putting together a search team to find us. Only because I didn’t have the most basic common sense in hiking to turn around before it got dark. So I began to ask myself, Where is determination a God-given trait to be used for His Kingdom and where is it arrogant, self-reliance? I had seen both in my heart and was entirely sick of the latter. I think of Brother Andrew’s thirst for adventure as a young man used by God for hair-raising Bible smuggling efforts into the Soviet Union. God did not change Brother Andrew’s personality. But He did transform his heart, direct His focus toward gospel efforts, and teach him hard lessons in depending on God. And yet, gospel-directed, Christ-exalting determination is far from the self-determination the world exalts in. The tale of Ernest Shackleton’s harrowing survival in the Antarctic through inspiring self-effort appeals to this world. J.O. Fraser’s breakthrough with the unreached Lisu tribe of China through two years of only prayer does not. Both required out-of-this world determination. But Fraser’s was a determination marked by humility and persevering dependence, not self-confidence. Our hiking adventure was a lesson I won’t soon forget. Not only am I going to take a wilderness survival course before I attempt another dangerous hike, I am also slowly learning what it looks like to balance wisdom and determination. And in case you were wondering, we did get some good pictures. The original post appears on Julianna's blog, called Whole Hearted, at https://juliannawrites.blog/2020/05/13/singing-to-mountain-lions-and-other-thoughts/ .
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