Walkabout the Third

Don’t expect. That seemed to be the theme for most of Walkabout. The umbrella under which we voiced prayers every morning for our hikes, listened to people tell their stories, and generally got to know people that we wouldn’t have known in everyday life at GC. We prayed. “Little” prayers-like ‘God protect us.’ We trusted. We didn’t expect (maybe the term ‘striving’ for a specific answer or a specific way for God to do something would fit better here). And we were incredibly blessed.

Community. I know that I function better inside of community. Somehow the combination of lots of trees, sleeping outside, cooking meals together, pumping water, and listening makes for a recipe of ‘insta-community.’ And my insta-community on the mountain this year was pretty spectacular: Neil, Catherine, Phu, Brett, Carrie, Rod.

This year marked the end of actually going on Walkabout for me. I was a leader this year, which not only meant that I was looked to as an authority on bear bags and blisters, but I was expected to actually facilitate that community that happened on the mountain. Translation: I’m beginning to learn what it means to be an agent of God in leadership. Emphasis on beginning.

Every night we were by a stream. Beautiful, clear water, cascading mossy rock streams. I stood out on the rocks and tried to memorize what they all looked like because I knew I would be back in my apartment, trying to put the pieces together in my mind of what each place looked like on Walkabout. It was so different from my last two years: being up high on the Appalachian Trail. Now included in my Walkabout memories, mixed in with the high points of looking around at the surrounding green mountains that begin to get fuzzy from fog or distance as my eyes and memory strain to remember, are the thoughts of the rushing waters and the large trees overhead that I viewed from the middle of the streams. Creation is restorative.

Included in that restoration process were the words of my team and the relaxation that comes from not having cell phones and loosing track of time to the point of trying to remember what day it is. It was perfect that after this crazy time lapse happened, my team put together a skit for the celebration at Cosby campground that consisted of them playing Walkabout equipment ala Stomp! The definition of our team: different personalities coming together to create one crazy sound…..without words. Perfect.
Now I’m back at GC. Back to clear cut days with cell phones and dorm keys, but I’m trying to go without expectation for as long as possible. I just want to get up in the morning, pray, and remember that this is the day the Lord has made and I do, indeed, want to rejoice in the way that He has constructed it. And at the end of it, I want to look back and thank Him for all that He did…..just in one day. Remembering to function in community.