The Wilderness

The Wilderness Experience
A book review
by Barbara Chadwick

Have you ever been in a place that you recognized as a wilderness? We have been hiking sometimes in places that seemed like a wilderness. But my wilderness -es have usually been mental and spiritual.  Times when I desperately wanted God to speak aloud to me but He seemed to be silent.

So this is a book review. I want to quote some things that impressed me from a book called The Wilderness Esperience by Robert W. Bailey (Broadman Press)

     A tourist visiting an apple orchard noticed some trees so weighted down with fruit they had 
     to be propped up. He asked of the orchard owner: "What is the secret? How do you grow them so 
     successfully?"
          The grower responded, "I can't explain why, but I can tell you what happened."
          He pointed to the base of one of the largest apple trees and indicated an ugly scar that had 
     partially healed during the past years. The owner explained, "In the beginning, too much of the 
     tree was going to wood and not into fruit. We found that if we scarred the tree, we got less wood 
     and more fruit. And we're in the fruit business."
         We are a people who avoid linking pain to growth.

          The wilderness is an experience of contrasts,
     It is an unsettled, barren, perilous area, but
          it is also a place where God is!
     It is a difficult, lonely, unnerving site, but
          it is also a place where God dwells!
     It is a draining, exhausting, discouraging situation, but
          it is also a place where God heals and strengthens!
     It is a remote, desolate, debilitating condition, but
          it is also a place where God moves and loves!
     The shadows and darkness of the wilderness we do not seek for ourselves, but we need not fear to 
     advance on our wilderness journey, God is there! He goes before us!
                                                                                     He comes behind us!
                                                                                     He journeys beside us!
                                                                                     He dwells within us!

          God allows His children to walk through the dark valleys and to journey through the wilderness
     The scars we encounter result in our lives being:
            more fruitful for Him.
            more sensitive to Him.
            more obedient to Him.
            more loyal to Him.

     The outcome of our wilderness experience depends on
        our attitude toward life
            our choice of response
                our relationship with Christ
                    our openness to growth
                        our desire for obedience
                            our sensitivity to support systems
                                our responsiveness to the Spirit

     Many people have gone into the wilderness and died there! Others have gone into the wilderness
     and come alive there! Enter boldly, thoughtfully, openly, carefully, and may you emerge stronger
     than when you entered! Brave Journey!