Dust and Tribe is proud to feature this guest post by Anas Amer, rangeland technician with the US Forest Service and D&T adventure lead.
“What do you like about this stuff?”
Someone asked me this question when they found out I was by myself in the middle of “nowhere.”
I wasn’t, really. But that’s not the point. I didn’t think about the question too much until I woke the next morning, packed up all my things, and hiked back. That’s when things started to make a bit more sense.
Why do I like this stuff? Why am I voluntarily putting myself in this circumstance that is inevitably going to be a struggle? I’m in a strange place. It’s cold. There are wild animals. I have to pray and my arms aren’t going to wash themselves.
I walked on. If I wanted to go on a hike and see wild things, I could join a hiking group near the city. If I wanted to see the moon or sun, I could step outside and look up. If I wanted to expose myself to the cold, I could do that right outside of my home. If I wanted to walk barefoot, I could also do that right outside of my home. If I wanted to see flowers and plants, I could go to a park. If I wanted to see animals, I could go to a zoo. If I wanted to get exercise, I could go for a walk, a run, or go to a gym. If I wanted to eat outside, I could have a picnic.
And in each of these moments, I could praise and glorify God.
Submission
The reason I like this stuff is because it’s holistic. I have all of that and more, but in an entirely real and pure way. In the way that Allah meant for it all to connect together. He fashioned the land in a certain way and allows provision for the life that resides there in total submission. The plants and the animals accept their allotment.
When we think of the word “wilderness,” we are probably thinking about dense trees, forests, and mountains. But I hardly saw any trees on my trip. What I did see were plants and animals perfectly in sync with their environment. I saw bees and kangaroo rats burrowing underground. I saw birds take to the bushes. I felt the night awaken as creatures took advantage of the coolness and stealth. I didn’t see running water, but I saw blooming flowers and grasses that had saved up for this moment.
What flourished was what had submitted.
To experience each thing individually is a blessing, but to live it in its entirety means something else completely. I can’t tell you exactly what that means, but it’s something pure, real, and essential for each and every one of us.
And you’ll feel it. You’ll see the signs that He places and it will make you wonder.
Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding.
Q3:190
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