While most of us have never been in a true survival situation; we have likely experienced times that felt very similar. 

Like a downed plane in the middle of nowhere, so too we have found ourselves stranded; our hearts put in survival mode. And while we can quickly become overwhelmed, the options are in fact quite simple; stay alive… or face an untimely end.

There is nothing easy about these stages in our lives. We are deep in a wilderness; one which is a far distance from the place we consider home. Gone are the amenities and comfort we have become so accustomed to. Now left with next to nothing, we scramble around the wreckage looking for anything we can salvage or use to improve our situation. Our heart only moments ago was in flight and on course for wonders ahead, but now lays in pieces… scattered and broken

In desperation, we yell out into the great expanse… The distant echoes only further reminding us of our dire situation. 

Core survival training is ultimately what we are in need of; a way to strategically plan our path forward. While some of us may have learned a thing or two as a boy, the merit badges we once earned seem to be a far cry from what we are in need of now. 

Where do we even begin then? 

For starters, let’s be clear… this land can be vicious at times; we are in the midst of predators that are on the hunt, and solely focused on the same thing we are… survival. Being aware of our surroundings is Step One to staying alive.

Step Two is food and water, to sustain and strengthen us; our life source. This likely is not going to be what we think… Many times, only receiving the bare minimum of a few drops. This will need to be enough to satisfy our needs. We must be cunning, always ensuring we are one step ahead to avoid core starvation and dehydration; this will require us to hunt, gather and wisely ration to ensure our longevity.

Step Three… the elements; Intense of course, leaving us no option but to find or build shelter. Our heart needing shelter for cover and a strong fire for warmth… This is our place of refuge and rest. Have we established that safe, warm space where we can retreat to wait out the storms and bring healing to our aching bones? 

Finally, Step Four… we need to reach out for rescue; sending out an SOS to Him who has the power to save us. What are the flares, or prayers, we send up high into the sky? If we call out, we can confidently know… Rescue will come; although it may not feel as immediate as we’d like. As Matthew 24:13 tells us “The one who endures to the end, will be saved.”

Once we secure these basic necessities and endure at all costs, we will begin to uncover that place deep within us that we never knew existed…

For it is only when we are pushed to our limit will we ever acknowledge the wreckage our hearts have become. This level of brokenness can’t be faked or fabricated, and it sure can’t be found indoors with all the familiar comforts we have become reliant on.

So with each sunrise, we must trust the process that is taking place in our unique wilderness. Learn about what it takes to stay alive and keep our fire lit; But greater than this, discover what we have been given, deep within…

A Warrior Heart…

The Heart of a True Survivor