TRAIL MAGIC, I MEAN, BLESSINGS

Currently, I am reading about a thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trial. He had lost his wife to cancer. To try to recover and to hear from God, he quit his job to trek this 2,184 mile trial. In the book he is about half way. One of the delights among the multitude of difficulties this hiker writes of is "trail magic." Trail magic happens at place the trail crosses a road, comes close to a town, nears a private property boundary, skirts a parking area. The strenuous activity of thru-hiking depletes the body of calories and liquid. Packs must be kept light. Little food can be carried. Kind-hearted strangers, civic and church groups, or even former hikers will come to one of these places that touch the trail and distribute or leave food and drink and other refreshments. Some set up a grill and cook hamburgers. Others place cans of pop in the cold, rushing water of the streams. No hiker knows just when and where the trail magic is for sure going to happen. There are possible sites of consistent bestowing. But, for the most part these provisions of refreshment and renewal come as a welcome surprise. Trail magic is one of the most anticipated joys of the trail. Every believer is on a longer trail than the Appalachian. There is that narrow path to heaven the truly born again is traversing. Each believer that makes heaven will be a thru-hiker. Although Christians don't believe in "magic", each traveler discovers that God provides trail blessings (shall we say). When a traveler is weary, depleted, drained, suddenly there is a trail blessing to renew, refresh, reinvigorate. Appalachian thru-hikers never know when they start in the morning around what bend, over which hill, under what bridge, they will be blessed with trail magic. Neither does the believer. But, God is faithful. What you need to make it, He'll place on the trail.