Finding Your Holy Ground

I have spent the past several weeks thinking about about this topic.  This weekend, it all came to a head as this was the general theme of our youth conference.  We have been concerned that many youth know they need to stand in holy places, but they are not sure how to find and create their own holy ground to stand on.

I don't know what they learned, but I know that the spirit has really been speaking to me through the entire event.  I don't know that I will be able to express all the feelings I have been having in this single blog, but I will try to put them all together as best I can.  Maybe it will be a couple blogs.

I am going to start with yesterdays event, since that is where things have been coming together for me.  The Lord has whispered to me from the beauty of His creations.

We thought it would be fun to enjoy nature/wilderness with the youth and help them understand that each of us must find our own way.  Though the wilderness we are in many be similar, to each of us, there will be different challenges.  So, we woke them all up at 5:30 in the morning and headed west to a small wilderness in the desert.  At 7, we started our journey, together, towards a small lake/pond some 4000 feet above us. 

This hike was described to us as a short, but challenging hike.  It shouldn't take more than 90 minutes to reach our goal and the return would be even quicker since it was mostly downhill.  When asked how far the lake/pond was from our starting point, we were told that they did not think it was more than 3 miles.

Four hours later, and just over 4.3 miles from our starting point, we all arrived that this majestic lake/pond.  I must admit, it was pretty, the skies were blue, the air was clean, the scenery was incredible.  But the journey was a trial in and of itself.

For some, it was amazing that they were being able to accomplish the task fairly easily.  They were keeping up with those who they thought were better, stronger, faster, and more capable than themselves.  They came to realize they were able to reach the same holy ground that those they aspired to were reaching.  I hope they are able to apply that to the rest of their lives, not just a single hike into the wilderness.

For others, it was just another task.  Almost a chore that needed to be checked off so they could move on to other things that were more appealing to them.  I wonder if they took the time to stop and see what was around them.  I worry that they did not take the time to see, hear, and feel the personal whispered to them through the soft breeze in the tree.  

Then there were those who struggled to see, hear, and feel because of the challenge of the trail.  They could not focus on the ultimate goal, but had to set their sites on the next fork in the road, the next bend in the trail, the next patch of shade, or boulder to stop and rest.  The journey was hard and seemingly unending.  When they did reach the desired goal, they could not stop and truly enjoy.  They found themselves suddenly planning, dreading, and fearing the return journey.  Would it be as challenging?  Could the find the strength to make it back?  What if they couldn't?  What would they do?  Who could help them?  What about the next day, were they going to be able to function?  I fear they were too distracted by the unknowns and questions of the journey, to truly stop and recognize the ground they were struggling to stand upon.

How many of us find ourselves in similar stages as pass through this wilderness of mortality?  Are you hearing/learning the messages/lessons you were sent to hear/learn?  Are you applying them to the rest of the journey?  What is it that is stopping you from obtaining?  What needs to change and how are you going to make it happen?  

I challenge you to make it happen.  Like the journey, it is one step at a time. 

All of us made it there and back yesterday.  My questions is whether each of learned what we needed to in the process.