EATEN BY A SASQUATCH

I was too young to end my days in the jaws of a hungry Sasquatch. Fresh out of high school, my friend Doug and I joined my dad on a camping trip in the Washington Cascades. After three days, we pitched our tent near a ski lodge. Doug and I hiked down the hill to call my mom to pick us up the next day. The sun was setting as we headed back to camp.

During our trip down the mountain we had entertained each other with fake Bigfoot sightings. At random intervals, one of us yelled, "There's a Sasquatch!" Such foolishness occupied our juvenile minds for hours. We engaged in deep intellectual debates over the existence of Sasquatches, concluding their existence was unquestionable. Now, with darkness encroaching, we regretted our earlier conversations. We had only one small flashlight with us, since we were certain we would return before dark. We quickly discovered that no darkness can compare with walking in a deep forest, especially on a moonless night. We also found that even tiny animals moving through the woods at night, sound a lot like the noise a Bigfoot might make.

Eventually, our cheap flashlight began to fizzle. Shutting it off to conserve batteries, we soon realized we had wandered off the trail. We were hopelessly and helplessly lost in the thick of Bigfoot country. Shivering through our flimsy T-shirts, we were too terrified to bed down for the night. Then our eyes observed a faint glow in the distance, and we pursued the light. Advancing closer, we detected a voice shouting— my dad! We maneuvered our way into camp, having been saved by the light and the sound of my father's voice.

We all have stories of being lost. But no "lost-ness" is more hopeless and helpless than being lost from God. Ephesians 2:12 declares that without Jesus we are "separated from Christ...without hope and without God." Imagine being separated from our Creator, unable to pursue the very purpose of our existence. But the good news is, that just as Doug and I followed the light of the campfire, Jesus is the light we seek (John 1:9). The good news is our Father's voice is calling us to Him (Matthew 22:14), just as my father called us. We all find ourselves lost at some point in life. The question is, why stay lost, when you can be found?

“Lord Jesus, draw us into your presence by your light and empower us to hear your voice.”