Neal Pollard
Have you ever found yourself in a deluge? As many of us are facing drought right now, that may not sound bad. But, I am talking about a fierce thunderstorm where waters rise and floods are a threat. Thunder strikes fear and lightning could strike you. Visibility is poor and the ground is giving way. Does there come a point where you resign yourself to the storm?
Ask Rita Chretien. She is a literal expert on the matter. Her situation was a bit different, in that the storm was not still raging. She and her husband, Albert, were taking a scenic drive down from Penticon, British Columbia, and had made their way as far as the rugged, remote Elko Mountains on the Idaho-Nevada border. Their van got stuck on a national forest road. That was in late March. She was found seven weeks later, 20 to 30 pounds lighter, weak, having rationed their snacks and using melted snow for water. She also had to face the anguish that her husband is probably dead. He set off by foot in this forbidding terrain and remains missing. She remained there in a place so remote she was only found when hunters in early May stumbled upon the area. There she was with her thoughts, her loneliness, her fears and concerns, and her doubts. How did she do it? She got out of the van and walked every day. She had books to read. She kept hope that she would survive (via Keith Ridler, Denver Post, A-2, 5/9/11).
I cannot imagine her ordeal and hope I never have to face anything resembling it. However, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, I may find myself in a similar, perilous place. The trials and troubles of life may leave me stranded in a seemingly remote locale somewhere along the narrow way. I may be suffering and deprived, feeling uncertain about the future. What will I do if faced with the temptation to give up hope?
I need to make sure I walk every day–walk in Him (Col. 2:6), walk in a manner worthy of God (1 Th. 2:12), walk in the light (1 Jn. 1:7), walk in the newness of light (Rom. 6:4), walk by faith (2 Cor. 5:7), walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16), and so forth. I also need to read and re-read The Book every day. It will do more than while away the time. It will shape and direct how I use my time. It will give me the strength for the storm and faith to know it cannot last forever. I also must maintain my hope and not surrender it.
What a trial Mrs. Chretien has endured, and it does not seem finished. Yet, she was rescued! She will survive this ordeal. May we bolster ourselves with the confidence that God will rescue us from our trials!
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