Following God’s Voice, Not the Footprints of Others

When God's Path Defies the Crowd

By Serena Menken

“Let me get this straight. You want to go on a trail that isn’t really a trail?” I asked my husband, glancing up from the National Park website with raised eyebrows.

“It’ll be fun!” Peter grinned. For the past year, we’d anticipated this milestone anniversary trip to Utah, eager for kid-free adventures together. “Plus, it won’t be crowded, since you need a permit to get in.”

Reluctantly, I sighed. “Okay, I guess. But you know I have a lousy sense of direction.”

“I’ll be our navigator,” Peter replied, kissing the top of my head.

Lost in the Sandstone Maze

The next morning, after we had watched a mandatory video at the visitor center, the park rangers cautioned that we could easily get lost on the Fiery Furnace Trail. Many hikers missed the smattering of small silver arrows, which appeared infrequently and blended into the rocks. The lack of cell phone service added to hikers’ sense of disorientation.

At first, we glided along sandy paths. As we trekked deeper, we became engulfed in a maze of towering rock walls. We met other hikers clutching their phones, staring at maps. Together, we hunted for the route and failed. Multiple times, we walked in one direction, only to realize that we had made a wrong turn. We snaked through slot canyons, climbed up boulders, and crept along a cliff’s edge. After a while, Peter and I wandered alone. I started to feel anxious that we would be trapped inside this maze for hours.