Missing Hiker

We watched North Woods Law last night which is filmed in Maine and features the game wardens who are specially trained in all kinds of things.

This episode ended a little differently than most of them do -- the woman who they were searching for was not found.  Her family was left with no answers to where their 66-year-old wife and mother is.

She had been hiking the trail with help from her husband who would meet her every so often and replenish her food and water.  She had texted him on the day before she went missing, saying that she intended to spend the night in a lean-to along the trail.  As far as anyone can tell, she didn't make it that far. 

Lost in a huge wooded area, one that has peaks and valleys, dense forests, and hazards especially to one unfamiliar with it.  How frightening!  They presume she died somewhere but have been unable to locate one single thing that belonged to her -- backpack, tent, brightly colored coat.  Dogs were used to search, and then cadaver dogs were brought in, but they still found nothing.  The family posted a $15,000 reward. 

The search launched to find Gerry Largay was probably the biggest one ever along the trail.  Helicopters came in, game wardens participated, and of course, the dogs.  Everyone was horribly frustrated that no trace of the former nurse was found.

The hike was on Gerry's bucket list.  It was something she'd always wanted to do, and her dream was coming true. 

Personally, the story touched me and so I'm going to pray that they find her, find out what happened to her. 

The song, Amazing Grace, says, "I once was lost and now I'm found."  The kind of lost the song talks about is one that affects many, many people.  Lost because they do not know God and thus they cannot possibly find the right way to go.  As I get older, increasingly, I'm struck by the difference between people who have faith and those who do not. 

We should always pray for those who are spiritually lost.  The Bible shows us that Jesus cares for us like the lambs that the shepherds cared for back at the time that Jesus was born.  Like the shepherds who do the very same thing today.  The lambs hear the voice of the shepherd and respond, but respond to none other.  Think about that -- to no other voice.  And when we allow God to get in a word edgewise, we learn to hear only one voice - God's.

If you think about, say a prayer for Gerry Largay's family.  Christmas must seem so sad for them.

Take care, friends.