Walking Across the U.S.

Stepping out of the small, puttering vehicle, I looked up at the gloomy sky coming over us. I grabbed my backpack out of the back seat, thanking the scruffy driver who had driven us into town. My friend, Adam, with his backpack on his back, handed him a gospel tract. A somber look washed over the man as he wound up his window and drove off. At that time the sound of rain started coming.

The town of Plumb City, Wisconsin was not very bustling and busy. It was so small that a good bowshot might make it from one end of the main strip to the other. The only noticeable features on the main road were a bar and a large Catholic church with a Gothic aura to its architecture. It was a tall gray structure with towers and spires and such. As the rain began to pour we bolted up the steps, hauling our backpacks on our backs and hiking boots on our feet. We were met by two large wooden doors, shut, but hopefully not locked. As I reached for the latch, I prayed that the church would be open. I pushed on the door and it heavily swung inward like a lumbering giant. We escaped the rain and into darkness. Praise God.

The inside of the church echoed our footsteps. The light from the outside pierced through the black, giving some light to the solemn settings until the door was shut behind us, leaving us in the dark of the large sanctuary. The stain glass windows did little to illuminate our surroundings. We stood in the center aisle with rows of wooden pews on both sides. On the sides of the sanctuary stood stone statues of the saints with candles set before them.  I pulled off my backpack and set it down on the wooden pew beside me. A dull thump echoed into the lofty ceiling and back down to us weary travelers.

My friend Adam and I had been on the road for about half a week by this point. Our intention was to hike our way from St. Paul, Minnesota to Columbus, Ohio before Christmas came around. It was the most stretching emotional experience I have endured so far. We left at the end of August from Bethany College of Missions where some of the students and staff prayed over us before we literally walked off the campus and down the road. Our hearts were set on reaching the lost for Jesus Christ. We prayed for boldness and opportunities; we packed and repacked our bags. The day finally came when we tightened up our boots, grabbed our water bottles, backpacks and headed out. It brings a smile to my face every time I think about the beginning of our experience, traveling like Paul and Silas to strengthen the church. Words fail me when it comes to how I felt.

Later on in the trip, after the experience at the church in Plumb City (we met the priest who gladly took us in, giving us food and shelter)  we headed further down the road and into a town where we met a pastor who was also glad to take us in. After setting down our bags and taking off our boots he proceeded to ask us many questions wanting to know our reasons for setting out on such an adventure. We talked about famous pastors and writers and such, but the part of the conversation that stuck with me the most was this:

How do you know when you are following the will of God and when you are just being driven by emotional hype? How do you know that you’re not simply under the influence of your feelings or your own self-justification?

At that moment, as I was sitting in the cozy arm chair, it felt like the Holy Spirit brought Luke 2:51 to mind.

“Then he (Jesus) went down to Nazareth with them (his parents) and was obedient to them…” (NIV)

I knew at that moment that I was supposed to go home immediately via Greyhound bus. I don’t know why exactly, but something inside told me to go back to my parents in Ohio. Perhaps it was because my parents were hoping that I would come home soon and start raising money for a fast-approaching mission trip.

I had gone this entire time riding on a good idea without asking God’s opinion.

So I ask this: How do we know when our plans are just emotional hype and when they are lead by God? Adam and I proceeded to give ideas to this pastor about how we would distinguish the two, all of which he promptly shot down.

I’m not going to give you the answer; I want to know what you think.

Though this hike across the Midwest was no walk in the park, I love to think back on the experience and remember the intensely difficult times through which I clung to Jesus.