« door journals VI… | Home | Tokens Radio Show »
Trail Magic
By Kyle | July 12, 2008
In the summer of ‘02 my brother Chuk and I and a group of teens from our youth group hiked a 75 mile section of the Appalachian Trail (AT). We hiked with a guide by the trail name of ‘Circuit Rider’. He gave up his full-time paid position in a ministry to follow his calling to be a ‘hiking missionary’. His goal was to thru-hike all 2000 plus miles of the AT and spread the gospel on his way. On July 14, 2008 he will embark on his 9th thru-hike. Groups join him along the way and he teaches the Bible around the camp fire. We were with him for six days. That week on the AT has surfaced over and over again in my memory over the past six years. Scenes like Circuit Rider reading from the book of John using his headlamp. I remember his ‘followers’, those who he had reached with the Good News along the AT with names like ‘Gorilla Jim’, ‘Splendid Shower’ and ‘Sherlock’. At the end of the week Circuit Rider said something that has stayed with me, “For some of you the Trail will keep calling you back, it may be next year or years from now, but you’ll be back.” Since that section hike of the AT from Salisbury, CT to Lee, MA I have known that I will return to the trail. Maybe in the form of a thru-hike, maybe just sections at a time, but I will return. Maybe the next time it will be with my son K2.
The AT is about so much more than just a walk in the woods. It’s about community and relationship. “Trail Magic” is a term that hikers use to describe “Acts of unexpected goodwill”. It can be anything from bottled water left for hikers on a dry stretch, to the annual festival in Damascus, VA “Appalachian Trail Days”. We experienced “Trail Magic” during our week of hiking. It was a little general store off the path about a mile that sold Stewarts Soda’s and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Circuit Rider bought a round of each for all of us. We had been on the trail for a few days and the novelty had worn a bit, we were tired, some sore, some blistered and Circuit Rider kept telling us we would stop for this piece of “Trail Magic”. We finally made it, dropped the packs and the ‘magic’ tasted sweet.
Jesus used Creation to illustrate many of his points and often Jesus taught under open skies. Jesus was the Ultimate Outdoorsman. The idea of “Trail Magic” is a Godly one and originated with Him. Jesus Himself was the One to bring “peace on earth, goodwill to men”. I like to relate the idea of “Trail Magic” to our thru-hike of the Christ-life. Many times on the path Jesus will drop some “Trail Magic” along the way. Like a passage of scripture that meets a need for you at the right time or a wife and family, or the answer to a prayer. Those are sweet times.
I look forward to the day when I can answer the call and my feet hit the Trail again. Maybe I’ll have another story of more “Trail Magic”.
Topics: thoughts... |
July 12th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Hey, son. Great post. Can you imagine a section hike with K2 and his grandpa? Maybe some day.
July 12th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
PS where was the picture taken?