So What Compels You?

Picture of Scott Pfeifer

One question that comes up repeatedly when a 60 year old man announces to the world that he is going to attempt an AT thru hike is "why in the world would you want to do that?"  The question is relevant and deserves an answer.

The ultimate motivating factor in my life is that mentioned by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:14, "For the love of Christ compels us, having concluded this, that One has died for all, therefore all have died."  As a serious follower of Jesus, what primarily motivates and compels me is to honor His Word and live out His commands and example in my own daily living.

However, with that said, there are always secondary motivating factors.  We have all been shaped by the people providentially placed in our lives.  Based on how important their influence on our lives has been, we will want to imitate their most admirable traits.  Of course not simply because that shows them respect, but because we have seen through personal experience how those values, disciplines, and character traits have led them to build a strong community and family.  

Sometimes we are shaped and given fresh motivations through painful experiences.  One such event happened in my life when I was 16.  One of my best friends, Scott Pfeifer, drowned in a lake located nearby our home town.  I will spare you the background, but let's say I was at the time less than a positive influence on him.  

At his funeral, I made a promise to God that I would seek to live for two for as long as He gave me breath.  I was not forced to make such a promise.  Rather it was something at the time which seemed right and good, and it's been in the back of my mind for these subsequent 43 years.  I even named my eldest son after him, Thomas Scott, to serve as a continual reminder. 

So why thru hike the AT as a means to raise awareness of the plight of S. Sudanese refugees?  Well, first and foremost I do it as a means of serving and honoring the Lord Jesus.

However I also like to think that if Scott were still alive, he would join me, or at least be one of my biggest fans.  And those factors, among others I will probably write about later, are what compel me.