The Lonely Shepherd

The wilderness... I've often thought about how it might impact my life by abiding in it for some length of time. There are so many distractions in my life; so many things that take up time and space that have no meaning. I've only a limited amount of time in this life, and I want to spend the gift of it in the most meaningful way. Even writing on this blog is a distraction. All great men have gotten away from everyone and ventured into the wilderness to not only lose the distractions of their lives, but also to find who they truly were. David was a shepherd his whole childhood. He resided in the wilderness tending his father's sheep. Elijah the Tishbite was a man of the mountains. Most of his life was spent in the wilderness getting to know God. Jesus Himself frequently stole away into the mountains and wilderness to converse with His Father. The Aborigines down under go on walkabouts to become men as well as the Native Americans in their vision quests. Tibetan Monks live lives of quiet solitude in the wilderness. Some of my favourite stories aside from those in the Bible are those of the Cowboys. Men that ventured into unknown lands to look for a better life. Little did they know it at the time, but they have now become men of renown. People that knew themselves, and weren't afraid of pain or death. Their spirits were strong (even if they weren't always righteous in their decisions). The list is endless. The tie that all these people have in common is that while they were in the wilderness, they were vagabonds. They didn't build houses and put down roots there. Their stay was a temporary one. But even though it was temporary, they didn't have a set amount of time allotted. The quest is more important than the time it takes to accomplish it. Its not a quest for earthly treasures; its a quest for spiritual enlightenment. I find it interesting that in our society, we've become so attached to the physical things, that to simply "up and leave" is regarded as insanity. In my opinion, nothing could be closer to a true grasp on reality than to leave all earthly possessions and find the thing that cannot be lost: The spirit. A man (and woman) is a threefold entity. The spirit is the true self, the soul may be regarded to as the mind, and the temporary "house" is the body. Many people highlight the physical accomplishments that can be had, while many others delight in the mind and accomplish great feats by the strength of it. But few people understand that the power of the spirit is superior to the others. I know this because it is the only thing that endures. The only possession one has after meeting with death is their spirit. I don't need to go into the proof of the spirit, because the arguments whether or not it exists cancel each other out. To prove something exists in the physical realm, one must observe it in the physical realm. To prove the existence of the spirit, one must observe it in the spiritual realm. Only very rarely are belligerent manifestations made from the spiritual realm into the physical. Just know that in my own experiences within the spiritual realm, I've found it to be not only real, but permeating every facet of the life of the human. That being said, I believe that most people, while strong in body and mind, are becoming more and more atrophied in their spirit man. That is why I believe that a break from things that focus on body and mind is essential to anyone wishing to grow spiritually. However, with a wife, kids, and bills (not to mention being in the Navy), it is becoming a loftier goal to abide in the wilderness for any length of time. I still wish to do it however, and I plan on it. I just don't know when...