In The Wilderness - Part One

Sometimes you find yourself on the road with the thickets and woods closing in around you and the next thing you know, you've lost the way. You've somehow left the path and are in the full wilderness. It is dark. There is sunlight above you, but it does not show you the way back to the path. You can flail about and hope that you are not devoured. Or, you can stop, try to retrace your steps, and begin to look for the path again.

Somewhere along the line, I have lost my way. I'm not sure where I took a wrong turn. I'm not sure what I've done to find myself in this place, but here I am all the same. I don't know where to go, or how to get back to my path, but I know enough to stop, take stock of my surroundings, and then try to retrace my steps.

I know I am surrounded by tall trees - pillars, if you will - of a good Christian community. My fellow bloggers, on their own journeys, have shown me again and again that the path begins with Christ. I am not disputing that. But it somehow feels as if I am blocked from it, as if I've become shut off. I know that the answer is that Christ is still here with me, but I can not feel Him. Knowing and feeling are two different things. And so, I've asked myself what it is about these others here on the same journey that I appreciate so much. As it turns out, its a case of wisdom, faith, love, hope and strength.

Wisdom
Ariel from The Bittersweet Life has been a strong source of wisdom for me. Even before Andy started his own blog and tried to get me to write one myself, I have been the occassional reader of Ariel's blog. Whether he's talking about the KU front court or Heideger's relationship to Christian faith, I find myself drinking his words like nourishing water. The pictures of his life are amazing - small glimpses of his world - whether by photo or by word. And I love to hear his ongoing Boggle scores, to remind me of what is truly important in this world ;) Though I've never met this brother of mine in Christ, I feel a connection that I cannot explain. His words are stronger than the letters that make them.

Faith
Dan from Nada is a strong portrayer of the faith for me. Having physically met Dan at a Bible study conducted by my friend, Andy, I can tell you that he is a powerful prayer-meister, who puts his faith in the Lord. When he lost his job recently, Dan didn't fret about things because he knew that God was going to take him on a new journey and he was eager to see what God had in store for him. This kind of faith is rare to see. I enjoy spending a few moments picking up the latest threads of his faithful story.

Love
Elisa from Things In General is a beautiful soul who shows the meaning of love to me. To hear Elisa's heart rending troubles, is to see what so many of us face on a daily basis through the lens of her incredible love for everyone. Her troubles at home, or with her family, makes me feel her anxiety, her hope, and her love for others. I read her blog or her comments and I can't help but feeling my heart yearn for peace, forgiveness, hope, God. I wish I could feel with the depth that she feels.

Hope
Heather from Superstar In Training is an example of the hope we all feel at some point in our life. Her blog is about the struggles of a young woman just starting out in the law profession, with two little kids, a husband, and a desire to make something better of her life and those of others. When you read her blog you can feel the hope in her journey - the heartfelt prayers in her words. Though she struggles to get ahead, she places her hope in God, and we all pray for her hope to be achieved.

Strength
Andy from A Mile From The Beach has always been strong to me. When Andy decided to become a weight lifter a few years back, I was humored. Andy - a weight lifter? And Pee Wee Herman was going to be a Pro Wrestler, right? But if there is one thing I should never do is doubt the passion and strength of my friend. He is steadfast in all his endeavors. He may stumble on the way, but he will eventually get there and succeed beyond all our imaginations. He is never content to just do the bare minimum. When he joined the fraternity, he joined it all the way - eventually becoming its President. When he started a blog, he learned as much as he could - he's got music, pictures, polls, weather trackers, gadgets and gizmos aplenty, and whozits and whatsits galore. When he decided to become a full fledged Christian, he didn't hold back either. He left the old Andy behind and embraced the new as a brother and a friend. That takes an incredible strength. He is like the Terminator. There is no compromise in him. Oh, and did I mention that he could weightlift an entire refrigerator? So, don't get him angry ;)

There are others who will help me find my way back. There are plenty of other trees in this forest. And I will need to see them for what they are, and see me for what I am, before I am no longer stuck in the wilderness.