View from the Treestand

Dehydrated…cold…not feeling good…6 miles to our next shelter and now my back goes out on me. I shout out in pain, “my back just went out”…immediately begin massaging  my lower back and thinking to myself, “this can’t happen…I’m really in trouble now…how am I going to get out of here…” all kinds of thoughts are going through my mind. Its kind of like your life flashes before your eyes.  Mike, who also has back trouble from time to time immediately gave me one of his 800mg motrins. I explain to the guys how serious this is…we pray! When my back goes out, I normally can’t walk and pretty much have to lay flat on my back… make a visit to my chiropractor…you get the idea.  There’s a spring half mile down to Peck’s Corner shelter…Mike, Danny and Ron decide to take all the water bottles and fill them up, not leaving us many pills to treat the water for the rest of the hike…found out later they were making plans for my rescue. I’m left alone for 45 minutes…not really alone…Jesus is there with me…I had what I call a serious “Come to Jesus meeting.” For about 45 minutes I’m wearing out a 10 yard path…back and forth…rubbing  my back…crying…praying…crying…praying. God is going to have to do a miracle if I’m going to get out of here. I know God can but will He???  Finally, after about 30 minutes I start getting some relief…no pain but still real tight…I can even stand up straight, no leaning to one side…this has never happened…NEVER HAPPENED!! If you don’t have back problems, you don’t understand how BIG this miracle is!! When the guys get back I update them on my condition…still fragile…but we can make an attempt to continue and see how it goes. My pack is lightened…each taking a little of the load…we head to Tricorner Shelter…knowing my back could go out again at any moment…thanking the Lord for my miracle…not out of the woods yet…