THE CAMPING TRIP

Glamping. Those were my expectations as my husband and I headed to the campground with our children.

We were all set—or so we thought. I’d prepared campfire tinfoil packs for supper of beef tips, carrots, and potatoes. I’d tucked in a few snack bars for good measure. For dessert, we’d have S’mores. Breakfast would be scrambled eggs with bacon.

We packed the children’s sleeping bags, and an inflatable mattress with pump for my husband and I. For good measure, we packed extra socks for everyone, filled the cooler with iced beverages, and chose books for the kids to read. We even brought our binoculars for birdwatching.

TO BE, OR NOT TO BE?

At last, we arrived. Let the glamping begin…But it was not to be.

As we set up our tents, a soft drizzle began. Soon, it was a full downpour. An hour later, we were experiencing a thunderstorm. Trips to the public restroom resulted in the children and I being muddied. Meanwhile, my husband was trying to get the campfire going, but it and he became a muddied mess as well. We tried to make the best of the situation and ate snack bars for dinner. That evening, we realized that our mattress would not hold air. I’m certain we’d chosen the rockiest location to pitch our tent.

Rather than glamping, we ended up packing, and headed out before dawn, cold, muddied, hungry and discouraged.

TIMES OF CHANGE

Awake, O north wind, and come, O south! Blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out. Let my Beloved come to His garden and eat its pleasant fruits.

~Song 4:16 NKJV emphasis added

Bride of Christ, have you had times where life is like the above camping trip? Rather than coasting through life, problems abound and you see no way out? It is in these times that our relationship with Beloved Jesus can be tested.

In the vignette, you as Love, invite your Beloved Jesus to come into your spiritual garden as gentle south winds blow. You’re “glamping” with Him. Spices flow, and all is good.

REMAIN LOVESICK

But are you committed to remain with Him even when the harsh north winds of testing blow upon your garden, turning it into a challenging place to remain? Unlike our camping trip that ended with us packing up and leaving, you do remain. No matter the season, and no matter the difficulties of life, you stay with the One whose love is constant.

Further in the vignette, you get spiritually lazy, but you search for Him, saying to your friends, “If you find my Beloved…tell Him I am lovesick! (Song 5:8 NKJV emphasis added)” Once you return, you experience joy no matter the season.

The psalmist David describes his concern that evil plotters may swallow him up as he pens, “Why do You stand afar off, O LORD? Why do You hide in times of trouble (Psalm 10:1 NKJV)?” It is natural to be troubled when tough times come upon us. David expresses his deepest concerns, but he works through these feelings into trusting God even in troubled times.

Life isn’t always a glamping trip. Sometimes it’s a muddied mess. But our Beloved Bridegroom is good, and He will see us through to victory. Stay the course. He is with you no matter the season.

Are you willing to stay the course with your Beloved Jesus, even during seasons of trouble?

My Bridegroom Jesus, I give You full control of my life even during difficult times. Take my hand, and lead me through the seasons of this life.

Your Bride,

Genre: Non-fiction Devotion

Copyright 2023: Glamping: Diane Virginia Cunio: All Rights Reserved