Lessons from being Lost

By JB Miller

A year ago today, I got lost in the woods at night, for four hours. The details of how it happened are interesting, but what I remember most is what the experience did to my faith. While I was probably not in any real danger, I was shaken by the experience, and look at it as a mental brush with my own mortality – the closest I've ever been to not knowing whether I would live or die.

I've always been afraid of the dark. As a child, I would come up with any excuse not   to sleep alone, and even as an adult, there are times when I have to sleep facing the door if there are no lights on. So for me to end up in the woods in the middle of the night, without so much as a light-up watch, was an irony that was not lost on me.

My experience was nowhere near as dangerous as someone facing a serious illness,  or even a bad car wreck, but I still found myself thinking of the "what-ifs." What if I die here? What will that mean about my life, my purpose? I knew even as I had these thoughts that they were a little silly, that I would probably be found very soon, but fear can do strange things to a person.

Even though the dreadful animals I faced were probably nothing more than beavers and squirrels, in my mind I was David, fighting a lion and a bear. I thought of his words, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4, KJV). This was my valley of the shadow of death. I did have a rod – actually a bamboo stick I used to ward off the animals that ran at me. The fearing no evil part, however, did not come easily.

I remember looking at the stars a lot – it was really all I could do. I tried to think about God's wonderful creation, and pray that His will be done with my life. Slowly, the fear started to dissipate, and finally, there was a moment when I realized my life was not in my control – and that was okay with me, as there was nothing I could do anyway.

Sometimes we seem to need a physical lesson to learn a spiritual one, and that is what this experience became for me – it taught me something I will try to always carry with me. When the fears of everyday life overtake me – and they can be more harrowing than a few hours lost in the woods – I remember the time I spent in the woods, and the serenity that comes from knowing with absolute certainty that God     is in control.

Isaiah 41:10 -- Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God.


 

JB Miller keeps busy as an Assistant Behavior Therapist and writer.  She also enjoys reading and quilting.  If you would like to comment on this article, feel free to email writers@blessedlady.com.

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