Into the Wilderness... Lesson One

Into the Wilderness

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. " Mathew Chapter 3


According to the dictionary, the wilderness is a land remaining in a basically wild, undisturbed by human activity. It's land that is left wild and uninhabited, you might say, in its natural condition. In general, it refers to untamed land.

Today, one may wonder if there are any true wilderness areas of land left. Every where you go there are mile markers, signs and paths to follow. It is as if every place is touched in some way by human hands. Still you will be amazed at what you see when you get out of the urban world and into nature. There’s a lot to see, a lot to learn about as you take some time to escape urbanism and take a trek into the wilderness around you.

In the scriptures the wilderness could be welcoming or desolate. It could be a place of herding animals, like a pasture, or a wooded area with a river, but it could also be a forsaken, harsh, desert region one without easily accessed water. It could be a place that's potentially hostile and destructive, or lush and refreshing, awe-inspiring, and spiritually renewing. One thing for certain, it is all ordained by God and under his ultimate jurisdictions and judgment. God, is God.

The key to survival in wilderness regions is preparation. Even in friendly terrain, one must have things like food and water or at least the skills to survive. They must also have knowledge of the territory and of possible dangers lurking there, or they will be easy prey for disaster. They must also know how to react to the unexpected and how to relate to their environment if they are to survive. Contrary to the video games we spend our time playing, sometimes you only have one chance to make the right decision and in survival situations people really do die. Mother nature is not always friendly or forgiving as a benevolent parent; the wild beasts are often territorial or hungry and looking for prey.

The wilderness of life is all around you. So travel wisely. Keep your ears and eyes open.



Proverbs 20 12
The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord God made even both”


What things should we watch and listen for when we are hiking?
wild animals
plants
insects
weather
other people hiking on the trail
dogs
horses on trails
mountain bikes

By the way, teach your kids not to pet dogs or horses without permission from both the owners and you. Some owners might say, "Yes, pet my my dog." but kids should be aware that even friendly dogs have teeth and they can bite. especially if easily excited about their surroundings.

Bathroom before heading on to trail whenever possible. There are often bathrooms along public hiking trails, but you will also need to prepare for nature calls of this sort. You may want to bring toilet tissue or other necessities with you.


ATTITUDE CHECK

Attitude when hiking...
Be considerate of others, make way for other hikers by moving to the side and letting them pass if they are faster than you are.

Children should mind the adults or youth leaders in your group with respect.

Stay together as a group, do not wander too far ahead, do not lag too far behind, or go off of the trail. If you decide to separate and hike as two groups be clear on a meeting point.
Pack out your trash.. clean up after yourself or others.

Think about what you are doing, do not be reckless. There are consequences to carelessness.
Do not trow rocks off cliffs or run on trails. Injuries do happen. BE a good observers so we do not miss the things God wants to show us about life, about this world he created, about us, or about God Himself.

On your first hike plan to learn about the plants and trees that grow where you will hike. Tell your hikers to observe and identify plants and trees as they hike. Challenge them to learn to be able to identify at least three different kinds of trees. (It is your choice of what they are.) Encourage them to learn more about trees, maybe a new one each hike, and soon they will know many.

You can do this by having them sketch some leaves they find and having them identify what the trees are later, or by introducing them to trees they should learn, and have them hunt for them on the hike. You can carry a tree identification book in your pack or have them take photos of the tree, or write a description in a journal, or make a leaf identification chart. You can subsequently challenge them and yourself to learn more plant identification skills with each progressing hike.

You will also want to be sure they know that there are some dangerous plants to be avoided. Plants you want to know and look out for here in the United States are poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. These plants are known to produce one of the most common allergic reactions, known as urushiol-induced contact dermatitis, when people simply touch them. In order to avoid urushiol in the wilds, one must know what they look like. If you are hiking in a desert region, be sure to be able to identify cacti to avoid, such as Cholla, the jumping cactus.

Poison ivy, oak, and sumac grow almost everywhere in the United States, except for Hawaii, Alaska and desert areas. The most likely plant to come upon among the three is Poison Ivy. The general rule to help people avoid such plants is "Leaves of three, let it be!" In other words, do not touch it.

This is because Poison Ivy leaves are characterized by three (or sometimes five) serrated-edge, pointed leaflets. It grows as as a vine or free-standing plant in the East, Midwest, and South, but in the far northern and western US, it grows more as a shrub. Poison Oak is similar. It too has three pointy serrated leaves. The plants can be green or red, depending on the season. Sumac has more leaves, (seven to thirteen) and it is found mostly in the eastern US in bogs and swampy places.

Do some research, educate yourself and your kids and be able to identify these plants as well as know what to do to help someone who finds themselves with an urushiol rash. Urushiol is potent!

Some websites to check out are:

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view

http://www.aad.org/public/publications/pamphlets/skin_poison.html

http://www.arborday.org/kids/teachingYouth.cfm

http://www.csrnet.org/csrnet/Trees/treeid.html