Historical Journal

I kept a journal of our family's camping trips.

Our first camping trip was in Huntsville, Ala. in 1976. Our four children ranged in ages from 3-11. We made three serious mistakes on that first experience with our new (used) pop-up tent camper. First of all, we forgot a can openner. Second of all, we parked at the far end of the campground and found out that in the middle of the night, the walk to the bathrooms is long and dark for us with our young children. Third of all, we found that by parking at the rear of the campground, unknown to us, we had camped right next to a train track. In the middle of the night when the approaching train blew its horn for a nearing crossing, we were jolted awake to hear the train and see its headlight that seemed to be bearing straight down upon us! That's not an experience one forgets!

Our last camping trip was on the edge of the steep gully bank of the family farm in Leicester, NY. in 1984. Our children ranged in ages from 11-19. We left the camper up for the summer. The sap from the trees in the woods and the hot sun ruined the canvas that year, but we didn't have it replaced. We had settled into a different lifestyle, the children were involved in other things, and so, there were no more camping trips. The camper fell into ruin. Just the journal of good memories is left from that time.

In reading through the Bible, I came across an entire chapter that is likewise a camping journal. It's Numbers 33. It reads like this: Moses wrote down their starting places, stage by stage... So the people of Israel set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth. And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, which is on the edge for the wilderness. And they set out from Etham and turned back to Pi-hahiroth, which is east of Baal-zehpon, and they camped befoe Migdol... Numbers 33:2,5-7 This whole chapter is the camping journal which describes the route which the Israelites took after God set them free from slavery in Egypt.

I continue to be amazed how God has revealed Himself to us. There are spiritual truths about Himself and about us that He wants us to learn. To do that, He took a certain family, the family of Abraham, and has make sure the story of that family has been preserved, camping trips and all, so that we can know for sure the historical accuracy of what has taken place when God interacts with human beings. The Bible is not made-up fables as some people say. It is a historical document of actual happenings.

This week we will celebrate Easter. Easter celebrates the historical event of a man that was resurrected to life after being dead for three days. This man claimed to be the Son of God by His actions and His teachings. He claimed to have overcome death and sin by His death on a cross, and by His burial and resurrection. How thankful I am that the Bible (which has proved to be trustworthy in listing campgrounds in the wilderness) is also trustworthy when it describes this one who has been raised from death. Jesus is the name of this one.