Moonlight Limitations

Moonlight Limitations

“The Bible without the Holy Spirit is a sundial by moonlight.”

—Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899)

In the summer of 1991, Duncan and I travelled to Cody Wyoming to look at a piece of land down the south fork of the Shoshone River. At the time, we considered buying 13 acres that included a small house to help Young Life start a backpack program. Two YL staffers drove up from Colorado Springs to meet us and see the lay of the land. It is a stunning area, similar to Yellowstone Park.

As we stood on the lot, I thought about our own backpack trip in 1978. photo 1

The trailhead was just down the road. We had hiked from there over the mountains into the Greybull headwaters to fly-fish.

It was thick grizzly country, and I had a tiny can of mace.

It was also our honeymoon—and you guessed it—my husband picked the trip!

 

 

The Bible says, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness
 leaning on her beloved?”           (Song of Solomon 8:5)

photo 4

That would be me—sleep deprived and weary. How does one slumber with the thought of bears lurking? I also grew some whopping blisters on my heels the size of sand dollars. At certain points near the end of the trip, I did more than lean. My husband actually carried me across places in the river to keep my feet dry. Very kind.

Hypothetically speaking, if he had taken Song of Solomon 8:5 as a confirmation for an idyllic backpack honeymoon, he would’ve been reading by moonlight! 

A wilderness to him was a pristine area. To me, it was a desert experience. The same word can mean very different things.

I survived the honeymoon. photo 2

He didn’t mean to cause any trouble or hardship. He just wanted to fish!

Footprints in Sand

Next time we’d go here…

 

Back to the lot in Wyoming:  The current resident in the little house on 13 acres was an outfitter. He guided trips for people to hunt and fish in the backcountry. When we arrived, he was busy packing a string of horses with gear, food, tents and other provisions to set up a fishing camp. But it was late in the day.

The outfitter said he preferred to travel at night. “You can see quite a lot under a full moon.” He wouldn’t run into any other pack trains or have to back up on a narrow trail. I think he was a loner at heart.

“What about bears?” I asked, remembering my nights hunkered in the tent, with mace in hand. Bears were always a risk, he said. They tended to be more active when the hot sun went down. Still, he left anyway.

I pictured him and all the horses making their way through the dark forest by moonlight. I thought him very brave.

Historically, much of humankind has navigated spiritually by moonlight, so to speak.Continue reading

God’s Poem

God’s Poem

This is a true account of a sign and wonder.

In 1994, Jenny and I met to pray with a very troubled woman. Our youngest sons were toddlers at the time, and that day, there seemed to be a lot of commotion–fighting over toys, crocodile tears, and the tromping sound of unhappy feet. Every time we sat down to pray, some new difficulty would arise.

Jenny recognized it as spiritual warfare. Though the term has become cliché, if you’ve ever been on assignment for God you know that’s usually when the dog runs off, the milk spills, or the car won’t start. Firebrands. That’s what I call them. Sent by the enemy stir up trouble.

So what did we do? We sang a song and worshipped God together. Remember that if you’re ever in a time of distress, if you’re scared in the dark or feeling hopeless. It’s a powerful countermove.

Right after we sang, Jenny sensed that the Lord was about to give her a prophetic word. She often compared it to the feeling you have right before you sneeze. You know something is coming.

Jenny would basically “see” or “hear” in her mind—a phrase. When she spoke it out loud, another phrase would form, and she’d continue until the words stopped coming. That day the words came in such a downpour, I barely had time to take notes. Fortunately, I had my laptop. I can type much faster than I write.

Because it came rapidly, I typed her words in one continuous sentence. Later, when I made spelling corrections and added punctuation, I realized the phrases formed a rhyming poem.Continue reading

How Far Would You Drive?

How Far Would You Drive?

They made a 12-hour drive to meet with us. A man named, Dimitri, and his friend came all that way for prayer. Dimitri seemed particularly tired and weak, but not just from the trip. He was dying of AIDS.

Back in the mid-1990s, my friend Jenny and I had a prayer ministry. We didn’t exactly set up shop. It started like spontaneous combustion. Evidently, it was God’s idea.

We met with a different person each week, praying for discernment and wisdom. Broken, hopeless, and weary people found us through word of mouth alone. We took no money for our time. It was a lay ministry under the covering of two pastors. Neither of us had seminary training or counseling degrees. I served mainly as the note taker. But Jenny was versed in spiritual gifts (as described in 1 Corinthians 12). She especially functioned in the gift of prophecy.

That day, we pulled our chairs close, held hands, and prayed. A period of waiting and listening followed. Dimitri had not yet told us his story. God revealed to Jenny, through individual words or phrases, strong themes that dominated Dimitri’s life. Some of the words were obvious like “abandonment” and “wound,” but other terms were mysterious like “sepulcher” or “malinger.”Continue reading