Covering the Familiar

Journal 2005 09 16
Covering the Familiar

Ever looked out the window in the middle of the pre-dawn hours of the morning to find snow falling? The reaction in our house most of the times was “Yippie, no school today!”

Today, Clark records that snow started falling three hours before daylight and continued all day. Contrast that with the expected beautiful weather being experienced in the same spot two hundred years later. Before the day was complete the men were marching through six to eight inches of snow. If you’ve seen or read any accounts of the Corps of Discovery you have heard William Clark quoted as follows, “…I have been wet and as cold in every part as I ever was in my life, indeed I was at one time fearful my feet would freeze in the thin mockersons which I wore,…” Clark also notes that the trail they were following became extremely difficult to find as the snow covered the ground. The familiar became hidden and hindered their progress. The men charged with finding and following the trail discovered they could look to the trees along the trail and find “rub” marks made by packs the Indians used on their horses. At midday the party found grass for the horses to graze on and built fires for the men warm themselves. Clark and another soldier set out to cover the next six miles as fast as they could to prepare a warm and watered camp for those who followed. They found a small spot near a stream with barely enough level ground for all to sleep. Large fires were built and awaited with warmth for the main party that followed. They arrived at dusk “verry cold and much fatigued.”

Earlier in the day the cold exposed a problem with the flint on Clark’s rifle and he was not able to get off a single shot at four deer he saw. The men repaired it later that night. Another colt was slaughtered and all “thought it fine meat.” Once again, the best seasoning of food is often the hunger of the diner.

Have you ever lost your way? Not been able to find the trail? Had the familiar give way to the unfamiliar? I have. It is disorienting at best and brings fear and panic at worst.

Have your sins been “washed white as snow?” The familiar gave way to the unfamiliar and you had to find a new method of finding your way in this world. God expands our vision. In today’s example, He would have us to look above the dirt and see the movement of substance through the trees. The rubbing of packs on the bark of trees became the new indicator of prior travel through this small piece of earth.

Jesus admonished the leaders of His time because they could read the signs of nature regarding the wind and weather but they couldn’t read spiritual signs. He was angry because His expectations were that they could read spiritual signs. Can we? Do we understand He expects us to?

We understand that He covers, hides and impedes our old way. We need to allow Him to train us with new vision to see and read that which we didn’t before. Lost your way? Stop and expand your vision for signs of those who have gone your way before. Then proceed on in faith confident He has walked this path and prepared the way for you.