Lost

Last weekend was YFC's Student Leader Retreat. It was a weekend that was on course to be the usual great time of bonding and learning... and indeed the retreat was all of those things, but it certainly was not typical.

Saturday afternoon three of the girls went out for a hike through the woods. Several other students and staff had taken the same excursion, following the paths down to the creek. But due to some confusion, the girls took a wrong path.

At around 5:30 we started dinner, and some noticed that we were short a few people. We figured out the girls had left around 3pm, and figured there was a chance they just lost track of time. So we waited a little longer. When they still hadn't showed, we sent out a team of three staff members to search for them. By the time our make-shift search team left, it was already getting pretty dark.

Half an hour later, around 7pm, there was still no sign of them, but our three leaders believed they were following the girls' tracks on an unofficial path. The snow was deep, the woods were dark, and one of the three staff following the tracks told me he felt some strong emotions during that time. Walking with his light, warm clothes, and cell phone, he thought of these girls who had been out lost in the cold for 4 hours now. Being lost, alone, and completely ill-equipped, how scared and desperate must they feel? He told me he found himself crying as they walked, with this overwhelming sensation of what they must be feeling. He could see better what they were experiencing because he was walking their path.

I think of the path of man. In this life we are by ourselves, lost, and ill-equipped for the things of life. I believe we all come to grasps with how we have no real control over our lives, and how we really don't know what we're doing... as well as me may put up a front like we have it all figured out.

It was Christ who came to Earth. Christ, who walked the same path as us, and connected with the harshness of humanity. But as much as he walked our path, he was not in he same position as us. He was not ill-equipped. He had the necessities that we did not have... he had the Truth!

Our search team was equipped with blankets, water, communication, medical supplies, and light; all the things these girls needed, but were without. It was a rescue mission. That's why Jesus came, to rescue us. He came with allt he things we needed to save us from our situation.

I don't think that God was unable to relate to humanity without Jesus coming, but it certainly does show us a commonality, an understanding, and an intentionality; joining us in marriage of closeness, love, and rescue.

The girls were found and taken to the hospital. They turned out to be fine, which was great. It was a hard time for everyone, but I do think there is some good understanding that came out of it.