And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24
A little while ago, my wife and I had the opportunity to visit a cabin built by Dick Proenneke (Pren nik key) on Twin Lakes in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in Alaska.
In 1968-69, Proenneke built this cabin by hand, using mostly materials from the surrounding area. His remarkable skills in woodworking and carpentry are reflected in the excellent craftsmanship of the cabin. Proenneke was 53 when he built his new house, and he lived there in relative isolation for the next thirty years. The National Park Service (NPS) is the fortunate recipient of the cabin, which he willed to them upon his death in April of 2003.
A guide from the NPS met us at the site to give us a tour. She shared many fascinating stories about Proenneke’s time living in the Alaska wilderness, one of which has remained with me.
During his first few weeks in his newly constructed log home, Proenneke had an experience which made him seriously question his decision about living there. It came in the form of an encounter with a large and not too nice Alaska brown bear (see Bears III Brown Bear).
One day Proenneke heard the sounds of a bear rummaging outside his cabin. He loaded his gun, came out the door, and fired a booming round over the bear’s head in order to run the animal off. But the bear did not run off. Instead, it charged Proenneke, who scrambled to get back inside and slam the door behind him, just moments before being killed.
The enraged bear proceeded to claw and batter the door, snarling and growling his disapproval of the newly arrived occupant. This cabin measures 11 x 15 feet. I can’t imagine what it would feel like standing inside, hearing the roaring and bashing against the cabin, knowing if the door should fail, I would likely die a rather unpleasant death. Although I visited the site fifty years after this event occurred, I could still see what appeared to be claw marks in and around the outside of the door.
Wow.
It’s a very good thing that Dick Proenneke did the work of building his cabin with all his heart, working to the best of his ability – including his construction of the door! Anything less might have cost him his life, almost before his thirty-year adventure in the wilderness had begun.
I’m not sure what Mr. Proenneke’s thoughts were toward the Lord when he was building his log cabin in the Alaska wilderness. But I do know something about the truth of the above Scripture. When I work at something with all my heart as to the Lord, then He enhances what skills and talents I have, and makes the outcome far greater than anything I could have ever accomplished on my own. I have been astounded by how He has done this over the years, and continues to do so even now.
God honors His word. If you are not sure how to have a relationship with the God of the universe, I encourage you to read Got God?
Hope you have a great day.