Hike Safe

While preparing for the 10th Student Camp of MGC New Life Christian Academy this Holy Week, I googled “What to do if lost?” The theme of the camp is “Lost.” Since I am not familiar with the TV series, I decided to check out what hikers do to avoid getting lost. I came across a hikers’ website. According to HikeSafe, “The best ‘rescue’ is the one that is never needed. Hiking safely is about being prepared for any situation. No hiker ever plans on getting lost…” One of the ways to be prepared is to follow the Hiker Responsibility Code. It says that we are to be prepared to stay together. “When you start as a group, hike as a group, end as a group.” There are times that in order to survive the group must pace their hike to the slowest member of the group. Though it may slow down the group, we must make sure no one falls behind. We also need to leave our hiking plans to somebody back home. We must tell someone where we are going, what trails we are taking, when we will return and what we plan to do in case of emergency.

The key is being prepared for the hike... and for life. Unfortunately, in hiking as well as in living, people do get lost. One way is to make sure you have a support system like a small group of fellow believers. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 tell us, You are better off to have a friend than to be all alone, because then you will get more enjoyment out of what you earn. If you fall, your friend can help you up. But if you fall without having a friend nearby, you are really in trouble. If you sleep alone, you won’t have anyone to keep you warm on a cold night. Someone might be able to beat up one of you, but not both of you.” (CEV) Thus, we are to journey through life together. That includes pacing our walk in life with each other. That involves putting up with the quirks of each other. That implies that we make ourselves vulnerable to one another. People may bring out either the best or the worst in us. But we can only get from a relationship what we put into it. It is risky. At times we feel like porcupines in a huddle to keep ourselves warm. We even end up pricking each other with our quills. But, as The Message Version translated verse 12, “By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst.” We can only make the most out of life together. It is not just a matter of survival but significance.

Brethren, let us stay together.

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