I’ve opted for something a bit more outrageous, but
certainly something closer to my roots. A little two-man tent, a few campfires
at night, and a little sideways-tilted chemical cooker packed with dehydrated calories
and some mysterious crystals that when mixed with water form something called “Base
Beverage Powder,” an apparent electrolyte enhancer. I suppose our military men
and woman could tell me more about them, although this certainly won’t be the
first time I have turned to an MRE for nourishment. Seriously though, are dehydrated meals self-care?
I do wonder how it is I’m able to refer to my trip as
self-care, when I am more or less subjecting myself to conditions and meals
that will be less than comfortable. The truth is that I have always been
terrible at self-care. This includes a lot of bad habits that need to be
dropped precisely BECAUSE they bring comfort and ease. I’ve got to get these
things sorted and put in order so that I can be the best pastor I can be.
“Roughing it” can actually be a source of self-care when it’s
aimed specifically at a spiritual condition. This is also one of the reasons
that Walden Pond is on my trip ticket. Henry David Thoreau once wrote:
“Most of the luxuries and
many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but
positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind."
I suspect this
may be generally true, although I am certain that exceptions apply. It does
seem to me that character is produced most efficiently on the other side of
difficulty and that most of us pursue comfort over difficulty when given the
chance.
Part of my
journey has to be centered on questions regarding the comforts I need to select, the
comforts I need to reject, and the wisdom to tell the difference between the two. I’m
just not certain I can go all the way to the bottom of those kinds of questions
in the comfort of a bed, anesthetized by a four-course meal and a couple of glasses
of red wine.
I guess I’ll find
out between “beef briskets” and crackers that have a six year shelf life.
Yummy.
“Listen! I will be honest with you;
I do not offer the old smooth prizes, but offer
rough new prizes;
These are the days that must happen to you….”
