Follow Him!

Once upon a time, I followed New Hampshire Bob up into the mountains.  You guessed it, it was in New Hampshire!
I put my trust in the fact that New Hampshire Bob knew his way up this mountain we were hiking, surely he would know the way back down the mountain.  If ever you’ve watched Gilligan’s Island (that dates me) the theme song says in part, “….a three hour tour…”  Well that three hour tour turned into years on what is referred to as “Gilligan’s Island.”  So it seemed with our adventure with New Hampshire Bob.
My family of four, New Hampshire Bob, his daughter, and their poodle, embarked for a day of adventure.  We reached the turn-around point and New Hampshire Bob suddenly pulls out an old wrinkled map and says, “I think if we go this way, we’ll get back from our hike in the same amount of time.”  Then he added, “And we’ll see new scenery.”  What I’ve learned in my mountain excursions is that if you hike up, the scenery is one way and when you turn around and hike down, the scenery changes.
So, off on a new course down the mountain we went.  After a while, New Hampshire Bob is turning his map as if to decide which way is the top.  This is a bad sign.  My confidence is wavering with New Hampshire Bob.  But when he poured out the last of our water for the poodle, what confidence I did have vanished as fast as the dog lapped up the water.  Did I say it was the LAST of our water?
Night is beginning to creep through the forest.  Mosquitoes as big as birds are sitting on the tree branches.  The temperature is beginning to cool.  My mind is racing on how to protect my family for the night.  My parched tongue reminded me that the poodle drank the last of our water.  If a bear comes along, all I’ve got to do is out run the poodle.  Wait!  The bear will still be hungry.  Keep running!
“Quiet everyone!  Listen.”  I hear cars on the hi-way over there.  Forget the map, follow me!”  Off the trail we go and up onto the hi-way, fifty feet from out car!  Praise God!
What’s the lesson here?  It’s not about trusting New Hampshire Bob.  It’s about standing still when you’re in a panic and letting the Lord show you the way!
 
Peace,
Pastor Allan
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