Nature Journeys Lesson Four

Nature Journeys Lesson Four
Now that you have the knowledge of what to do with snakes and scorpions, and you know what to do if you encounter wild beasts, and you are also able to identify some of the trees and plants of your environment, let's discuss what to do when you are out on a journey in nature and suddenly realize that you are lost.

Being lost means that you no longer have bearings of where you are, you come to a point where you are no longer in control of where you are going. Often when you are lost, you loose track of time and are confused about which way you came or the right way to return to where you came from. It's pretty easy to get lost in tree country, because everything looks the same. First you get disoriented and then you find yourself struggling to survive. Whether you are a kid or an adult, it's easy to get lost in the wilderness.

The dangers of being lost are many. Without shelter, a person can suffer from exposure to the elements, without food and water, a person could suffer hunger and thirst, without warmth they could experience hypothermia, and maybe even an ultimately death. The biggest danger in the wilderness is being lost, because when you are physically lost, your mental attitude can be lost too. The biggest danger is panic and losing hope of being found.


WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BEING LOST?

See if you can answer these questions:

How do people get lost?
Most of the time, people get lost because they do not stay with their group or they leave he safety of the marked trail. Sometimes they stay on a trail, but are not paying attention and end up going the right way because they do not read the map or miss a sign and go the wrong way. Most often it's because they do not follow a plan and end up off the trail, exploring places they have not planned to explore.

What would you do if someone you knew was lost on your hike?
You would probably call out to them, hoping they heard you. You would want to go and find them and get others to help you look for them.

What would you do if you realized that YOU were lost on a hike?
You would probably call out for help hoping someone would hear you.
Some people would not ask for help though, instead they would simply keep walking, try to find a trail and their way back. While this might seem like the thing to do, when people are lost, they have no idea where they are or what direction they need to go. Often a lost person will wander around using up all their energy, then they get tired and hungry and they are in even worse condition physically than if they had simply rested and waited. If you were lost, you would want to be careful not to travel further away than you already are, making it more difficult to rescue you..

What should a person do if they are lost?
The first thing to to is STOP. That's right S-T-O-P.

Sit down,
Take a drink of water,
Observe your surroundings and situation and
Plan your next course of action. Do not do anything else until you know for certain that what you are doing is the best thing. You do want to stay in control of your situation as much as possible, even if it means staying right where you are. Do not move unless you are certain of where your next step will lead you.

Here are some things to do:

See if you have brought your cell phone. See if it works from where you are. If your cellphone is at home, or not getting reception, then find a large tree that is near to a clearing and stay there. The tree will give you shelter and being near a clearing, you will be easier to spot, especially if you make a signal or sign to help those who are looking for you, find you.

Keep busy mentally and physically. Build a shelter in case you end up being out overnight, collect wood for building a fire,

You can live 3 days without water; 3 weeks without food. If you are worried about being lost for an extended period of time, remember that water is more important than food.

Make loud noises at things that scare you and know that those noises you are making will help people find you. This is a good reason to carry a whistle with you in a pocket or day pack, for a whistle can help you make noise for others to hear if you get lost and help you save your voice and energy.

Use your whistle. If you are using a whistle, blow three distinct times and then wait 3 to 5 minutes and blow three blasts again. If you do not have a whistle, sing some camp songs, listening periodically to see if someone heard you singing.

Make sure you will be seen. Three whistle blasts, three piles of dark wood on light sand, or three fires burning simultaneously a distance from one another are common signals for help. If you need to sleep or take shelter, put your bandanna or some article of bright cloth out in the open near where you are, hoping that it will be spotted from a distance or from the sky. Mirrors and reflectors can help people find you too. Make your presence known, and while you are waiting to be found, focus your attention on God, and pray. He will hear your prayer.

As discussed previously, something to do before you leave for a hike, is to let someone know where you are going, and when you expect to return. Do this BEFORE you get lost, and check in with people when you get back. If you do not return, they can report you missing if you do not return. For backpacking expeditions, you can even leave your itinerary with a ranger at the trailhead, just in case... you, like many others before you, find yourself lost.

The point of hiking and backpacking, for many people is to get away from the concrete jungle mankind has create, and to somehow reconnect with the natural world. They want to be reunited with the wonder and joy of nature that man's created world seems to take away. Sometimes people believe that through nature, they become attuned with God, even calling Him "the Divine." While the solitude and serenity leads one to think about their life more clearly and being in nature is closer to what Eden might have been like, than life in a modern factory driven city, Christians people must understand that even in those moments when we feel that life on earth is very close to what it must have been in Eden, it is not the same thing at all. We must realize that the world we are in is tainted; with something God never intended, sin, and ultimately death.

As much as we can appreciate the natural world, and we know that God created it, we must remember that in the natural world everything is perishing. All living things will one-day cease to live. It's also important to understand the God is supernatural. Miracles are evidence of the supernatural, but not all things supernatural are miracles, nor from God.

People need to know what a miracle really is...and is not. For example, a miracle is... not a work of magic or wizardry. A miracle is... not an event of nature or of natural origin. In fact, a miracle goes against the normal laws of nature. It is not a natural phenomenon. The miracles of Jesus include Jesus healing the blind, Jesus casting out demons, Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and Jesus walking on water. These are amazing things.

A miracle is a demonstration of God's power and truth, and true miracles from God throughout human history, give a definite ‘sign’ to believers and non-believers alike that God is real.

The existence of God, or at least a being greater than ourselves, should be quite evident, simply by what we do see in the natural world, at least to thinking, reasoning and creative beings like ourselves. But we are blind, groping about, maybe even looking for God, or at least answers to life the universe and everything, until God opens our eyes to his truth. He does this quite supernaturally too.


Jesus said,
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

People like to think of life as a journey, and perhaps it is. In a way, you might say that it's a journey through a vast wilderness, a hike. One where you must identify trees and plants that can help you or hurt you. You must know how to stand against the threat of many dangers and know the remedy for the harm that the natural world can deal to you and consider the reality of death and dying as you eat plants or animals in order to exist as one gives it's life, the fruit of it's own body, so another can live. Life is a journey. Like a hike, it's a journey of discovery.

It's a discovery of who you are, and what your made of and what you lack, as well as a coming to understand what you lack and what you need. It's coming to the realization that this world is not our natural home because it's tainted with sin which results in death and destruction. Our true home is with God where he is. For the time being, we can only live day by day as God allows us, and do His work make this world a better place, helping others to see the path that they must take. We are lost in the journey of life, until someone shows us the way.

John 14:1-7, Jesus speaking.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.


I hope that by being out in creation, you better understand that the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen... being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse. Romans chapter 1 tells us that there are people who see these things, they know about God, but they refused to glorify him as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. They changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.