Into the Wild, Into your Heart

I began reading 'Into the Wild' last night. I made it roughly 30 pages, and I think I'm hooked already. A story of a man who drops everything and enters into the snow-laden wilderness of Alaska. There's something about survival stories that stirs me. I've always liked them, even down to tuning into 'Survivor Man' or 'Man vs Wild' on the Discovery Channel whenever I see either on.

I don't know if it's the idea of isolation that intrigues me, as I'm naturally introverted and enjoy a healthy dose of solitude. I like to think of Christ's desire to remove himself from things and pray alone. The New Testament explains that Jesus often withdrew to isolated locations to be by himself.

There's something about solitude that appeals to me. Not as a means of escape, because I love being with my wife Racheal and around friends, but more as a place of rest. A place of peace. A chance to take a breath. For me, solitude in any form is a time to clear my head. A time to pray, reflect, and be in one-on-one community with the Lord. A time to face the reality of our heart and subconscious...which might not be a pretty site on a given day.

I can't wait to finish Into the Wild and learn more about Chris McCandless and why he did what he did. I don't think his reason for isolating himself was rooted much in spiritual reasoning, but I'm thoroughly intrigued!