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| At the Alabama trailhead |
As we set out from Birmingham, we asked the Lord to meet with us while we were out in His creation, experiencing Him by the workmanship of His hands. For me, I tend to encounter God when I am out in the woods, be it climbing, camping, hiking, etc. Give me the woods, and I am sure I will have a distinct & worshipful experience with the Lord. Of course, put me in the woods with two other stout believers, & you can just imagine the fellowship, laughter, & joy to be shared.
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| First water sighting! |
Well, God showed Himself powerful in a number of ways. In some expected ways & in some highly unexpected ways. The beauty surrounding us as we hiked was remarkable. In late winter/early spring in Alabama, the woods are gray. Drab and gray, yet distinctly pretty. Early in the hike we realized that we were to be visited the entire two days by green highlights of moss, standing out against the gray back drop of the woods! Then we came upon the first indications of the water we were expecting to see in the canyon, it came in the form of a hillside creek. As we descended the 1000 ft+ to the bottom of the canyon, we crossed the 30 ft wide Hurricane Creek. The water has a lagoon green tint to it, so pretty and very unique.
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| Log bridge crossing @ Hurricane Creek |
Among the natural features around us, in creation, it was impossible not feel as though we'd all been put in our place, so to speak. The Walls of Jericho are deemed the Grand Canyon of the South, and for good reason. With canyon walls staggering to 200-250 ft at places (maybe even 300ft), you cannot help but feel the smallness of your entire being in light of the massiveness of God's handiwork all around. Once you're in the back of the canyon & the walls surround you all around, you a vividly made aware that you are powerless, as you witness the force and power of the flowing water that has for centuries carved its way through the rocks, creating features that appear so unearthly, natural features and shapes I have never seen before! Its hard to describe what I felt as I witnessed where the water had tunneled its way under one entire part of the rock feature we were all clambering over, then to see it punching through the rock in no meager way. There were even spots where the rock had been so eroded away that the water was coming through a hole in the middle of the rock face. Not too mention the pure white of the limestone all around. It was all simply amazing.
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| Looking toward the back of the canyon, at the 180 degrees of rock and water! |
Later on, during the evening after we had finished our backpacker meals (and Left Hand Fade to Black, black lager that we took with us), my insulin pump decided to quit working. For various reasons I have had trouble with it in recent months. In the 6-8 times its been problematic like this, I have never been able to fix it. Every time I had to go back & change out of the parts & re-inject it. So, to see the screen flash "NO DELIVERY" was not exactly encouraging. My first thought was, "Wow, I dropped the ball this time."
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| Sitting above the lower falls, looking at the river's beginning |
See, as I was packing the night before, I did not pack any backup pump supplies (I know better). And the Lord knows I know better, and He in His faithfulness was quick to remind me that I need always pack backup supplies. He did remind me. I ignored the reminder as I was packing. It was easy to justify not taking extra supplies for a single night trip, plus it was that much less bulk & weight (which is a lousy excuse cause it is not weighty or bulky). So, I ignored the warnings of the Spirit. Thus, as we sat, & I read my pump, I knew I had totally screwed up.
For clarification sake, when my pump does not work I do not get insulin, which means my sugar will spike because of an intake of carbohydrates (Insulin is given to decrease blood sugar levels with each meal and throughout the day). Without insulin, blood sugars can be dangerously high and have severe consequences. So...
Sitting there explaining this to Mere & Weaves I began to realize - yet again - that my decisions not only affect me but those with me too! I learned this in no uncertain ways, in hard ways. As I sat there fooling with it, hoping to make Mere & Weaves think I could fix it, I realized I was knee deep. So I started thinking, "I will just eat the bare minimum and drink water like and fiend!" Time passed, and for various reasons - probably obvious - I was prompted to pray, to ask the Lord to fix it, recognizing that He is not only the masterful Creator of all the natural world, but also Lord over all man's technology!!!
As Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy 2, God is faithful even when we are faithless. He was faithful & good that night, as He always is. About 15 minutes after praying, confessing my sin of ignoring His promptings, & asking Him out of His sheer goodness to fix it ... HE DID! It simply started working. Nothing I did fixed it, but then God just made it work! In a strange twist of irony my sugars then bottomed out, because in my attempts to fix it, when it worked I received a significant dose of insulin. So, to not pass out from low sugars, I had another beer (all carbs) and some more food. Then we went to bed, for a restful & peaceful night's renewal.
Point is, God is really good. He can be taken at every last word He has spoken to us in Christ and in the Scriptures. James is clear that all good comes from God, and this never changes because He never changes (James 1:17). I experienced in a fresh and new way the other night, for which I am grateful for. To think, the Creator-God of all the universe would be so attentive to my needs - lowly Adam - and to fix them in perfect timing and in His distinct and good ways. So yes, we encountered God out there. He made us to encounter Him and I am alive most when I meet with Him - be it at church, the solitude of my room in prayer, or in the woods ... but especially in the woods!!!
