By Lisa S. Tarno

“Even young people faint and get exhausted; athletic ones may stumble and fall. But those who entwine their hearts with YAHWEH will experience divine strength…” Isaiah 40:30-31 TPT

I thought I was fairly athletic still at my age. “I have done this activity many times in Colorado,” I thought to myself. I was feeling pretty good about myself and my skill level for a novice hike with a new group of people. I was joking with a new friend on this hike about the group’s “over preparedness” and it seemed like overkill. Being one of the youngest hikers in this group, I felt confident of my abilities to do this easy 4.7 mile hike. That is when horse poop hit the fan!

I was trying to dodge horse poop on the trail and consequently slipped on the loose gravel and fell near to it and in the process I smacked my hand pretty hard on a nearby cactus. The cactus then punctured a vein in my hand and I was spouting blood like a well primed pump! The whole group of 39 of us stopped to help me out. Someone actually had coagulating powder to put on my gaping wound and they proceeded to bandage me up. I was feeling woozy from seeing my own blood ooze out of me, that I was close to fainting on top of all the other drama. But I didn’t! Whew!

You see, my hubris got the best of me that day! I was just thinking how silly it was for all these “old” people to have all these preparations and first aid for a short hike…then BAAM! I went down and needed their preparations!!! My object lesson on full display: Pride comes before the Fall! I was so embarrassed. I was thinking of changing my name to someone else afterwards… these were all new people…maybe they’d forget. Miraculously, I did complete the 4.7 mile hike even feeling woozy. 

I texted my husband later to let him know about my ordeal and how I “introduced” myself to the new group of people. His response was epic. He was texting, “What in the world, Lisa? Do I need to put bubble wrap around you before you go out?”… uhm perhaps! The next day, I was at a ladies golf event with my hand bandaged and I was new to that league as were some others. One of the other new ladies said, “Are you “the Lisa” from the hike yesterday?” I about died of embarrassment….what are the chances? “Yes,” I responded, “But I am thinking of changing my name now,” I responded. My humiliation continued to school me.

I am still learning life lessons! I think as long as we are alive on planet earth we need to be open to learning. I had a new appreciation for these people who were prepared on what seemed an easy trail. Thank God for them!!! Otherwise I’d be bleeding out…on the trail….and in a precarious situation. It just dawned on me that we need to be open for guidance and suggestions no matter what and not get all cocky thinking we know it all. Clearly, I never knew about coagulating powder or its brilliant usage out on a hiking trail. Clearly, I am underestimating the dangers of the Sonoran desert!

As we mature in life, humility needs to guide us as well. We may have experienced a lot of life lessons and think we have learned a lot, but there is ALWAYS more to learn. And there is nothing quite like a quick object lesson of pride coming before the fall! I think I will be looking into updating a first aid kit to carry with me whenever I hike again. Coagulating powder is now high on my list.