The 10th of August

I love being reminded how sovereign our God is. Amen?

I was getting dressed to head out for the evening, when I felt strongly that my night would be better spent dwelling in the scriptures and seeking the Lord in prayer.

So, I grabbed the Word and my post-Nepal journal, and sat myself on the couch, asking "Okay, Lord, where to?"

As I wrote today's date in my journal, I was reminded that a year ago I was on Walkabout, a ten-day backpacking trip through the Ansel Adams Wilderness, that is a key part of the training that APU's Residence Life puts their RA's through before each year begins. All of the RA's are broken into teams of between 8 and 12, and placed with usually two experienced guides and a medical guide, all APU-associated or friends of APU alumni or staff.

Team Racer

Our team set off on a long trek through the wilderness to Lake Rutherford, the most beautiful of spots, where we then spent 48 hours on "solo". This solo period is spent all on your own, with only the most basic of items, with as much water as you can pump through the filter and ONE solitary CLIF bar. We were dropped off in our solo spots after dinner on the third night of our trip, and were picked up by our guides 48 hours later. We had whistles in case of an emergency, but our guides kept a general eye on us throughout the time span, from a vista point above the lake.

I could see one of my team members in her spot across the lake, but otherwise, I was alone.

Alone at over 10,000 feet, with just a sleeping bag and mat, sleeping under the stars.

Lake Rutherford 

My spot was just to the left of this picture, right at the water's edge.

When asked, my pastor had suggested that I read through the Psalms while on Walkabout. That first night of solo found me in the seventh Psalm, as I continued into the 8th.

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" Psalm 8:3-4 (ESV)

Yeah.

I mean, as can be expected, all I have written in the margin is "WOW".

In a place like Lake Rutherford, dwelling alone for 48 hours in His presence, what else can one say?

And at the end of Psalm 8?

"O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!"

I had one little pen available to me, and it's blue (uncharacteristic) ink is scratched thin in the underlining of these lines.

So as I am reading through those couple of Psalms tonight, I am made aware that that first night of solo, was August 10th, 2011.

Today? August 10th, 2012.

So much has seemingly changed. Tonight I watched the sun set from a men's slow pitch softball game instead of the tips of mountaintops, and I will soon crawl into my big bed instead of a heavily insulated sleeping bag on the rocky ground. But in the scheme of things, nothing has changed.

I am still messy, and His creation is still beautifully hand-crafted.

I am still insecure, and He is still majestic.

I am still feeling inadequate, and He is still sovereign.


Just for kicks...

This is how our team slept the first couple nights before each heading out on solo, all lined up. 

And THIS is how we slept every night after our two-night solo. 

You learn to appreciate the company of believers. 

I love these individuals. 

Ten bucks if you can guess which sleeping bag is me in each picture. 

:)