In a sermon for the LifeWay Pastors newsletter, Andy Cook writes: The following are actual responses from comment cards given to the staff members at Bridger Wilderness Area in 1996:
• Trails need to be wider so people can walk while holding hands.
• Trails need to be reconstructed. Please avoid building trails that go uphill.
• Too many bugs, leeches, spiders and spider webs. Please spray the wilderness to rid the areas of these pests.
• Please pave the trails so they can be snow-plowed during the winter.
• Chair lifts need to be in some places so we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them.
• The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake. Please eradicate these annoying animals.
• A small deer came into my camp and stole my jar of pickles. Is there a way I can get reimbursed?
• Reflectors need to be placed on trees every 50 feet so people can hike at night with flashlights.
• Escalators would help on steep uphill sections.
• A McDonald’s would be nice at the trailhead.
• The places where trails do not exist are not well marked.
• Too many rocks in the mountains. (Source: Mike Neifert, Light and Life, February 1997)
We’re not fond of pain, or even slight discomfort. We rebel at the suggestion of it, recoil at the sight of it, and reject the suggestion that it might be good for us; but the lessons of life are almost always taught in the classroom of suffering—whether you’re suffering through an elementary school spelling quiz, dealing with the excruciating pain of disease, or the heartbreak of grief.
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