Echoes From the Campfire

[Don Adkisson]

     "Don't be a drifter.  Always have some sort of a plan.  It may not be much, but don't travel through life aimlessly.  The plan may change; it may be vague, but have some purpose in where you travel and what you do."                                                                                                                                                          --D.C. Adkisson  (The True and Unbiased Life of Elias Butler)

     "For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."                              --Matthew 7:14 (ESV)

     Give praise and thanks to the Lord that you are traveling this path that some call the narrow way, others the gloryland trail, whole others the highway to heaven or the heavenly trek.  No matter what you call it, know this, that it is uphill and hard.  Always uphill, or upward to glory.  It is always onward as well, there is no turning back.  I recall the first stanza of one of my favorite hymns penned by Johnson Oatman, Jr.                                                                                                                                                                  "I'm pressing on the upward way,                                                                                                         New heights I'm gaining ev'ry day;                                                                                                     Still praying as I'm onward bound,                                                                                                       'Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.'"                                                                         As Christians we are all on the same upward trail, or trek.  It is the same path for every believer, how-ever, on this journey each of the travelers face different obstacles along the way.  There may be storms, battles, disease, death, financial problems, sorrow and suffering of a myriad types, and on, and on, and on the list continues.  And we all face these trials in different way depending on our experiences, training, attitude, personality, and character.  But no matter what it is upward.  We continue on.                   Some will walk the road slowly, but with certain steps.  Others will take great strides at time, but then falter and slow down, while others there seem to be little progress just inching along, but onward and upward is the road.  That is certain.  Another certain thing, this road is not a tip-toe through the tulip waltz, but is very often along a precarious cliff knowing that a misstep could be fatal.  That's when we reach out with assurance to grasp the Master's hand.  He is with us all along the way, but it is on those strenuous parts of the journey that we feel the touch of the Savior.  The words of Elmo Mercer come to my mind:                                                                                                                                                   "Each step I take I know that He will guide me;                                                                                   To higher ground He ever leads me on.                                                                                               Until some day the last step will be taken,                                                                                           Each step I take just leads me closer home."                                                                        
     There are those of you who say, "wait a minute," I'm not always going upward.  There are time I'm down in the valley of depression or the slough of despair.  If you have ever traveled in the Rocky Mountains you will know that even in the high country there are small valleys and ravines that must be traversed.  In Colorado, there are those large parks:  North Park, Middle Park, and South Park.  They are not rugged, you they are at a high altitude so when you are in them you are clearly in the high country.        You must walk the journey alone, yet in another sense there are others walking with you.  You face your trials and obstacles along, however there are members of the "family" who are there to pray and help escort you along the way.  You work out your own salvation, but you know that others have gone the way before you and that others are following you so leave clear footprints for them to follow.                  Weariness may try you, but take time to look back at where you once were.  Look at the experiences you have come through and rest in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit was with you every step of the way and will be in the coming steps; therefore rejoice and smile.  Keep moving, don't stand still, the journey continues and you're moving toward eternity and home in heaven.                                             D.C. Adkisson