The Oddyssey: not mine

So after 2 years, the day has finally come. My son Blake has been planning, studying, saving and prepping for 2 years to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mexican border to the Canada. I knew this day would come. I have had 2 years to get ready. Even so, there is something wrong about driving your first born child to the border of a crazy country and after he gets out of the car, turn around and drive away. leaving him there. 2000 miles away from his home. For the next 5 months I will be camping on 3 truths. 3 mind and fear cleansing facts:

1). As hard as it is for me to believe, God actually loves him MORE than I ever can and will.

2). God is every where all at once. I can't do that. He can be with my son where I can't. out on the trail.

3). Since God loves him more than I can and can do things and know things that I can't, I need to take peace in the fact that God is out there on the trail beside him. God is always working circumstances for Blakes good. 

Because of these truths, I can wash fear and doubt away, using the truths(tm).

So yesterday, 12:30pm Easter Sunday (how auspicious is THAT?) I left Blake at the southern terminus to the Pacific Crest Trail. As we watched him hike away, we took photos. The lone traveler beginning his journey. We got into the car to drive away and as we cruised down the dirt road back toward civilization we encountered him on a trail beside the road. This allowed us to yell at him, "you're going the wrong way!" He laughed. He knows how stupid we are. What pranksters we are. We hit El Cajon around 1pm-ish and headed toward L.A. LONGEST bloody 100 miles I have EVER spent going 10 miles per hour! We FINALLY got past those mountains north of L.A. (grapevine?) And busted it out on the flats. Arrived in Sacramento around 11:30 last night. The entire trip my mind was stuck on how I left my child in a wasteland. It bounced back and forth between that and God is with him and The Three Truths(tm). Slept fitfully and got on the road this morning - Sacramento to Sisters.All this long trip, I had been fighting the stupid unrealistic worries that only a mom can have - is his injured elbow troubling him? What about his allergies? What if he gets lost along the way? etc. At about 12:30 in the afternoon, while we were driving over the summit of the pass at Mt Shasta I actually got signal and a phone call. It was FROM BLAKE!!!  "Hi mom, Where are you guys at?" I asked him about his elbow. His answer was like I was being random, "uuuhhhh, its fine? Why? Its more my knees that are bugging me right now." Looking at his progress via the spot locator, He covered 15 miles in the first half day and now that its the second day it looks that he has covered another 20-ish? Not bad for 24 hours on day one! I am so proud of him! Tomorrow is Tuesday Apr 6th. Rain is forecast. He left the majority of his cold weather stuff here for me to ship to him later when he hits higher altitude. Please pray for his warm and dryness at this early stage of the game. Thank you! :o)


As of Monday Night April 6th, this was his position:  Blake's Pacific Crest Path