TRIP REPORT: August 2021 (Part 5 of 5)

TRIP REPORT (Part #5--The Final installment) RELIGIOUS AND SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF MY TRIP: (Contains religious content).

As some of you know, I am married (with two kids). My wife and children do not like the outdoors or backpacking. So, most of my Isle Royale trips are solo. I am also a Protestant pastor of a small rural congregation and I am also a part of a Protestant monastic order (but the members of our order lead our separate lives out in the "real world" --in various cities and states--and we do not live together in a monastery). My time alone on Isle Royale usually becomes a spiritual time of prayer and reflection. My 16-day trip to Isle Royale in 2021 was no different.

My goal on my Isle Royale trips is to pray at least 6 times daily -- early morning, mid-morning, mid-day, mid-afternoon, evening, and bedtime. I also pray at other random times during the day and night. My early morning, evening, and bedtime prayers tend to follow written prayers and "formal" liturgies. The rest of my praying is done in a more "free-style" manner --praying whatever comes to my mind and it often transitions into a time of quiet reflection and meditation.

I was ill in the early days of my 2021 Isle Royale trip. That illness caused me to re-evaluate my itinerary and the goals for my trip. My logical mind--and my inner spirit (and God)--seemed to be nudging me to switch to a lower-mileage and more restful and relaxing trip. However, my stubborn mind and my stubborn will still wanted to hike many more miles and see more places on the Island.

On Day # 4 (my third full day of the trip)--I resumed hiking (after a couple days break at Todd Harbor to rehydrate and recuperate from a stomach bug). I departed Todd Harbor and walked in the general direction of Little Todd Harbor. When I reached the junction to Hatchet Lake--I had a tough choice to make. Going straight put me on the pathway to Little Todd Harbor--and a long trip crossing the Island in both directions. Going to Hatchet Lake put me on the pathway to a shorter, more restful, trip on only the Eastern half of the Island.

I was pretty sure that God was probably pushing me to the shorter and more restful trip--but I personally still wanted the big trip. So, I decided to leave it up to God ... and to "chance". I got out a package of fruit snacks--and decided that I would flip it like a coin toss. If it landed with the front label "up"--it meant to go to Hatchet Lake. If it landed with the ingredients side up--I would go to Little Todd Harbor.

I prayed for a couple of minutes--and then I tossed the bag of fruit snacks high into the air. It landed with the main label up (Hatchet Lake). Being stubborn, I then told God "Best out of three". I tossed the fruit snacks high into the air --and for the second time--it landed with the main label up. So, I reluctantly went to Hatchet Lake and toward the more restful trip.

I was a bit unhappy about the decision. As I hiked toward Hatchet Lake, I "complained" to God that I didn't have enough food for that many days without resupply. (In my original plan, I was supposed to buy more food in Windigo for portions of the second part of the trip). Yet, deep in my spirit, God was saying to me... "Don't worry--I will provide you with enough food. I will make your own provisions stretch and people will feed you along the way. Trust me!" (And, in the coming days, people did indeed offer me food--without me asking).

I complained to God as I walked to Hatchet Lake and as I prayed while walking. I said, "But, God, I want to do the big trip and see more places". God replied, (in a spiritual way and not an audible voice)-- "You need to get more rest and you need more time to reflect and pray". I complained to God, "But, there are people and things that I want to see by going on that bigger trip". God replied, "But the people that I want and need you to see are only to be found by going this new way--toward Hatchet Lake". So, I went toward Hatchet Lake and the shorter overall hiking distance and a more restful trip. (See my prior trip report about napping ).

It was weird. God DID provide food in interesting ways. I organize and pack my morning and daytime food (and not my evening meals) in ziplock bags. One ziplock bag per day. As I repacked my entire backpack a couple days later at Lake Richie--I found that I suddenly had one more day of food than I recall putting in my backpack at home--or that I had counted when doing an inventory at Todd Harbor on Day # 3 of the trip. I also seemed to become full more quickly on this trip. So, I started having leftovers every day. The food "stretched".

As I hiked-- and as I talked to people when on breaks--people would sometimes pass their bag of snacks to me as they said something along these lines: "Would you like some of this? I brought more stuff than I should have and I need to get rid of it". A group at Chippewa Harbor offered me (and others) all of the freshly caught trout that we could possibly eat. At Moskey Basin, a family invited me over to their shelter for the evening meal. When God nudged me to change plans and do the more restful hike, I didn't have enough food in my backpack for the whole trip--without doing resupply. Yet, without going to Windigo or Rock Harbor to do a resupply, I somehow came home with a full day's worth of "extra" food. Go figure.

As I noted above, as I grumbled and complained to God (as I reluctantly hiked to Hatchet Lake) --God "informed" me that there were people that God wanted me to see along the new route. As I "heard" this, I simply figured that there were people that God wanted me to minister to along this new (and more restful) route. I was in for another surprise. God pretty much did not put any people in my path for me to minister to on this Isle Royale trip. (This was a big departure from my other Isle Royale trips, when I would somehow end up meeting every addict on Isle Royale, and meet several military persons with PTSD on each trip (I am a former military chaplain). I would usually encounter persons with health problems wanting prayer, or people with big religious and spiritual questions, or grieving people, etc). That didn't happen on this trip.
This trip--God sent people to minister TO ME. Other people said things to me that I really needed to hear. People mentioned Bible verses (and things from other religions) that were related to the things with which I was personally wrestling. People mentioned things that they were doing at their own churches (during the pandemic)--that I could "borrow" and implement at my church. Two people even prayed with me and for me.

The people that God wanted me to encounter on this revised itinerary--were placed there in order to minister TO me (and not for me to minister to them).

The three main spiritual themes for this trip became:
1) Remember, that everyone needs to rest--even Jon Prain.
2) God can--and does-- provide everything that we need. So, trust God more.
3) God can (and does) send people and situations that will help us "refill our (spiritual) fuel tank" and "recharge our (spiritual) batteries". (IF we are open to that happening)

A couple of more points.

Doing this more restful itinerary--with longer stays at various places--allowed me more time to go to lonely places (and awe-inspiring places) to pray. Many mornings, my morning prayer time happened before and during the time when I got up to watch the sunrise. (Then, I would go back to bed and sleep and rest). Mid-afternoon prayers were often done at some scenic overlook --or a lonely place out in the woods---or while staring out over a lake. I also had more time to do some journaling.

I am going to include some random pictures from spots where I prayed on the trip. Some will be new pictures--others will be photos that I previously posted in recent days. I am not going to label them or give locations. I invite you to just look at them...and enjoy.

This will be my last trip report for this trip--but maybe I will post a few more photos or videos as time permits.

I will close this...with a couple of things from the "formal" morning prayers that I do while on the Island. (I borrow this stuff from the Northumbria monastic community in the United Kingdom). Two of the lines from the morning prayer time include these words:

"Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
[And], in the mouth of each who speaks unto me."

Each day, my morning prayer time ended with this blessing. (Again, from the Northumbria Community):
"May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors."