A wilderness experiences sometimes feels like a trip to the dentist. No one likes going to the dentist for fear of having to get a filling, or even worse a root canal! But at the end of the day, if your tooth is wrecked, it would be better, sooner rather than later, to dig out the decay and move on to greener pastures.
Here is an entry from Lewis and Clark’s Journal. It is a reminder of how wilderness is a soul-mirror: it reflects the truth about our selves and shows us what legacy we are really leaving… not the one we hope for or imagine, but the real truth about how we are spending our lives…
Outdoor leadership has some unique variables that highlight how imperative it is to have a mentor.
It’s easy to talk about generalities with people by encouraging them to “think positively”, or “believe in yourself”, or “overcome your fears”. Those are general things that most people know they “ought” to be doing. But are they game changers? I don’t think so. By contrast, a truly effective spiritual leader will seek to know the person, and their life situation like a coach knows his players and the game they are playing. Then he can offer game changing perspective. Caring for another person’s soul involves giving specific guidance. Much like players on the court battling for the ball against a team that wants to shut them down, in the spiritual journey everyone needs someone to coach them by offering specific words on target to the unique inner-workings of their soul.
How do you know if you are “spiritually alive” or “spiritually dead?” How can we enjoy the abundant life the way God intended us to experience?
