I spent my past two summers as a (pretend) mountaineering guide/youth counselor at Beyond Malibu Young Life camp in British Columbia. In an attempt to NOT make it my personality, I think I’ve overcompensated and have probably lost touch with that experience much more than I had initially hoped.
Honestly, I would love to be defined by my time at Beyond, at least more than some other parts of my identity. It isn’t so much the coolness factor- the nomadic, mysterious, and extreme nature of life as a mountain guide that I identify with, at least I hope not. More so, it is the humanness of life at Beyond- immersion in nature, meaningful work, rich relationships, discomfort, spiritual depth- that so deeply resonates with me.
For now, I don’t want to talk as much about Beyond Malibu, believe it or not, but rather something specific I took away from Beyond which has inspired me to start writing here and there.
Being a backpacking guide in the coastal mountains required navigating a specific route in spite of often unfavorable conditions. Changing snow levels, thick foliage, ghost trails, and dense rain clouds at high altitudes made it difficult to have confidence leading a group to a specific destination. One of the tools we used to remedy these difficulties was route notes. Each of the guides utilized a little 3” x 5” waterproof flip book to log key information needed to effectively navigate a given route. Landmarks, time stamps, and any other relevant information were written down to allow the guide to remember which way to go and to facilitate an enjoyable week in the mountains. Each guides’ route notes looked different, describing the route in his or her own words, uniquely naming various landmarks, and including experiences that were specific to their given week on the trail, all with the common goal of promoting better execution the next time around.
I was fascinated by this small, yet profound element of guiding and it became one of the many things I brought down from the mountains into my “normal” experience in day to day life.
Along with giving me something to put in one of the many pockets in my carpenter pants (score), this little flip book has provided a way for me to process the many experiences in my life and help me to do better next time.
Although most often filled with fragmented laundry lists, half-baked ideas, and random reminders, my little notebook, along with my other journals (and the notes app on my phone, admittedly), are sort of coalescing into what I believe to be my route notes.
My route notes are constantly being filled with directions that will hopefully take me where I want to go. Whether it’s a Bible verse or a quote that gives me direction, an epiphany I had on Thursday, or something I need from Kroger, these notes boil down to remembering.
I think that remembering is a very powerful, sort of underrated function of our brains. How we remember things- trauma, disappointments, failures, successes- make up the stories that we tell and eventually come to define us. Remembering allows us to look back and see God’s loving hand all throughout life so that we are able to trust him in the present. Even the life-shaping habits and decisions that we make every day are often driven by our subconscious mind remembering what we should do.
So?
Why should this matter to you? And why am I taking the time to type out these thoughts when I could be watching Suits? I honestly think I’d rather be watching Suits. But if I’ve gathered anything from this practice of remembering it’s that doing the easier, seemingly more attractive thing rarely keeps me going on the right path.
Anyways, as for why this should matter to you, I actually think it’s a matter of life and death.
That might sound a bit dramatic, but true in the spiritual sense, that we are truly hoping for a life far better than we could imagine in exchange for a death much worse than just a physical one.
And every little step we take along our proverbial trail is taking us closer to life or death.
So all of this talk about route notes and remembering is really about knowing which way to go and what steps to take in order to get there.
I don’t know if it’s just me but this is all very real to me. When I’m going the wrong direction- neglect to be who God created me to be, fail to follow through on my promises, make decisions that leave me and others worse off- I feel dead. I can actually feel myself wasting away in the scariest way.
On the other hand, when I stay on the right path, I feel alive. I can look back and see how far I’ve come. I trust that I’m going in the right direction. I’m stepping into my God-given identity and beginning to function the way God intended me to.
But maybe all of this isn’t for you. Reflecting, journaling, thinking (no offense), it’s just not your thing. Maybe I’ve already lost 3 of my 4 readers. Maybe you’re saying you’re too busy to even care about this, that it seems impractical, uninspiring, or unnecessary. I get it.
At Beyond, some guides were better at taking route notes than others. And for these people, neglecting to take notes paid off in the short term, but never in the long run. I definitely experienced this myself as a guide.
“I’ll definitely remember this turn the next time around. Just take a right! No need to take 30 seconds to write it down.”
I was halfway right. I almost always remembered the turn, just not which way to turn. 30 seconds saved turned into 30 minutes wasted leading a group of grumpy teenagers down the wrong path.
Negligence to navigate the trail well turned into frustration, fatigue, and disunity. Or worse. Sometimes it meant getting lost or subjecting the group to truly dangerous terrain. In such cases, our neglect led us into putting ourselves and others in harm’s way.
We typically have the ability to recognize when we’re at a critical juncture in life and need to “take the right path”, but we’re also typically awful at doing so, at least I am.
“Oh boy, she texted me again, I know how this could end. I guess I’ll just respond without giving it a second thought!”
“It’s been such a long day, having a drink would be nice. It’ll be fine.”
“Man I’m just feeling really down on myself again. I’m just sick of life. I’m tired of fighting this.”
Rarely in moments like these do I whip out my route notes and flip through them for help. But when I’ve already taken the time to write down the directions, it’s much easier to instinctively remember the right way to go. And if I get lost, I know I have the directions to help get me back on the right path.
Here’s something else about route notes that I think is cool. When those guides realized they were missing important sections of the trail in their route notes, they would ask other guides to share their route notes and would copy down what was missing. I think there is something divine and beautiful about this when it takes place.
I’m not talking about copying down Ellis’ route notes of the Bike trails on Mt. Albert, I mean sitting down with somebody to ask them for help when we need directions. What to do when a loved one dies. How to deal with addiction. Where to find purpose in life. I think God is extremely present in these conversations.
And if we think our stories aren’t worth sharing, that what we’ve learned couldn’t possibly help someone else, we’re sorely mistaken. With God, whether right turn or wrong turn, good decision or bad decision, nothing is wasted. Every step we take throughout our journey inevitably contributes to our story. I think we underestimate how much our stories can help those around us.
And that is what I hope to do every now and then when I share some of my thoughts here. I want to record my story, the lessons I’m learning, and the directions I’m taking down, and I want them to be helpful to others as well.
It’s not so much that my story is SO worth sharing or that I have really valuable wisdom, or any at all. It’s that God is faithful to use my story for His glory and for your good. I really do believe that. And I hope you’ll believe it too, not only that my route notes are worth reading, but that yours are too. Maybe this will encourage you to, if you don’t already, start taking the time to write down some notes of your own and ask important questions.
Where am I at in life?
What has my journey been so far?
Where am I going?
Where do I even want to go?
How do I get there?
Whether or not you’ve recorded it or even considered it, you have your own journey- your trail- and your own unique stories and lessons- your route notes.
Hopefully sometime you and I can share our route notes, I’m curious to see what you have so far.
Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Jeremiah 6:16