Jeffrey C. Long

Last week I had the pleasure of being the pastor of the Idaho Mennonite church’s Junior High camp. While some around me said things like “good luck with that,” I have a soft spot in my heart for Junior High students. I spent two years teaching 5th and 6th graders music. I did my student teaching with a class of 5th and 6th graders. And I have been pastor at many Junior High camps. These students are just beginning to awaken from the innocence of childhood but have not quite yet hit the open rebellion of the teen years. They are questioning, but they still have a respect for authority.

One of the earmarks of the Camp Palisades experience is hiking. We did two hikes: Harder’s Hole, and Lower Lake on two consecutive days. These were exhausting to say the least. I had been looking forward to Harder’s Hole because I didn’t think it was the steep ascent of the cross hike from hell. Unfortunately, it disappointed me. The beginning was incredibly steep, and then it was steadily uphill for the rest of the way. Even coming down was work.

Lower lake had my anticipation because I was told it was more of a steady incline. And sure enough it was. But it still was a lot of work. It was a very hot day so I was thankful to have packed a lot of water in, but still it was nearly not enough as I was down to my last drops at the end. Frustrating to not have a water filter, as the entire hike was next to a rushing river of cold water.

Harder’s Hole was very out of the way. There were no rivers next to it. So I pondered as I traversed the great hill the first people to make the trek. Because someone has to blaze the trail. Mr. Harder was the one who discovered the crater that he is now named after. But it is deep in the bush and up a steep incline. What was he doing up there? It took a lot of work with no apparent destination.

And yet others came after him. After the first hike when he discovered it, we can imagine that the path was nothing more then kicked over dirt and bent grass. But as he took more up to see his discovery, the trail became more apparent. Until today when not only can it be followed clearly, but there a few alternate routes to the same destination. We all follow in his footsteps because he blazed the trail.

I think this is a helpful metaphor for us as we look ahead to new futures. Our destination is not clear. Some could ask “what are we doing up here?” There isn’t so much as a bent blade of grass to mark the path. And yet we continue upward hoping to find something worth the effort. It takes courage to mark a trail that others will follow after for years to come. But they won’t know where to go if we don’t do the work ahead of them.

Because someone has to blaze the trail.