BBD 08.23.06 A Survivor Story
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The Burning Bush Devotional
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08.23.06
A Survivor Story
Today's devotional was written by Dr. Walker Moore who is president of
AweStar Ministries in Tulsa, P. O. Box 470265, Tulsa 74147. You may contact
Walker at walker@awestar.org or 800.293.7827. Visit their website at
http://www.awestar.org.
God's Word: He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his
God and he will be My son. - Revelation 21:7.
Reflection: Family experts say there is a common denominator among happy
families: they all go camping. Wanting to be a good father, I took my wife
and teenage sons camping. If the Lord tarries another thousand years, I will
never do it again.
We started our little outing in Minnesota and finished up at the Lake of the
Ozarks in Missouri. This was the time for our family to spend alone with one
another and Mother Nature. It did not take long for us to become the
laughing stock of the campground. Their tents had patches; ours had price
tags. They had the Wilderness Experts badge from the Boy Scouts; we were
holding the instructions and reading them aloud. They had backpacks that
were named after mountain ranges; ours were named after landfills. Who would
have ever thought that in the middle of the summer it would get near
freezing in Minnesota? Our cheap $5 sleeping bags did absolutely nothing to
protect us from the elements. There we were, four bodies huddled together,
shivering trying to conserve heat. We were not hard to find, just look for
the shaky tent. Not wanting anymore of this Minnesota fun, we headed south.
But camping in the woods at the Lake of the Ozarks was no picnic either. Now
we were camping in the midst of a heat wave, and our tents had become a
portable sauna. My family would lie there at night gasping for air while the
sweat poured. (At least our new sleeping bags made great sponges.) When it
finally cooled off in the middle of the night, our sleep was interrupted by
the loud serenading of locusts. Whoever said the country was quiet has never
spent the night in it.
Our family did survive, and learned that one camping experience would last
us a lifetime. So for you parents who have not yet taken your family on the
camping adventure, let me give you some survivor tips. 1) Lint from your
navel makes a handy fire starter. (Warning: Remove lint from navel before
applying the match.) 2) When camping, always wear a long-sleeved shirt. It
gives you something to wipe your nose on. 3) A two-man pup tent does not
include two men nor a pup. 4) The sight of a bald eagle has thrilled campers
for years. The sight of a bald man however, does absolutely nothing for the
eagle. 5) The guitar of the noisy teenager next to your campsite makes
excellent kindling for your campfire.
The experts are right: camping does make a family happy. And my family will
be happy as long as we never do it again.
Insight: Difficult experiences can be used to draw your family closer
together.
Prayer: Dear Father, I know that there are going to be difficult days in our
family. The enemy wants to divide and conquer. But as our Great Shepherd
please draw our family close around you. During these seemingly impossible
days unite our hearts and spirits with the hope that is You. Amen.
Copyright © 2006. Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals
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