The Map Is Not the Journey: Renewing Faith while Hiking the Alps

by Richard Dahlstrom

Replace weariness with refreshment, obligations with passion, and staleness with joy.

Twenty years of working the same job had created weariness. When a close friend died, weariness led to questions about faith, meaning, work, and life. Seeking answers, Richard hiked four hundred kilometers through the Alps in forty days.

The profoundly shaping experiences in our lives are often born out of the mundane rather than the spectacular, yet there is also great value in stepping away from “normal” life for a period of time. This is especially true for developing companionship with God, which is less about prescribed practices imposed by religious institutions, and more about being open to what God has to reveal through the beauty of creation, the challenge of trials, and the joy of companions. Richard’s experiences and discoveries illustrate that we were all created for beauty, and opening ourselves to it every day is vital to keeping our faith fresh and alive.

Genres: Biography Memoir

208 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2017

Reviews

[Dennis Henn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Therapeutic musings while gleaned on a 40 day trek of the Alps. Lightly garnished with Christian thought and Bible verses, this would be palatable to most people wondering about the direction and purpose of their life.
The author is much hardier than I, and much more willing to accept inconveniences and changes to his plans. That’s why I read these backs rather than write them.

[Aileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written! Mix of personal stories from the Alps (I need to go there) with sharing the wisdom of spiritual practices and doctrines. Richard Dahlstrom’s writing is genuine, simple, and thoughtful. Waiting for the audiobook!

[Mr W S Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waypoints

Richard has candidly, and with great honesty, laid down strategic waypoints for us to follow, should we have the courage to embark on the journey...

Step 1: Admit to yourself you need to do this....

I'll be reading this book over and over again.

[Nick H Agnew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book reoriented my faith

I learned about Jesus, my best friend, through this book, and that he.is.enough.

I’ve set healthy moving goals, and learned to find solitude in my struggle.

[Dianne Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fantastic read! Not only was this a great challenge to my faith, but it was also a neat trek through the geography of the Alps (and a historical one as well). I connected most with the author’s challenges to be in the moment and to let go of control (which inevitably reduces worry).

[April Yamasaki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book alternates sections on the what and where of hiking through the Alps with the author's personal and spiritual reflections on what it means to have a living faith, dealing with individualism, consumerism, how we handle unmet goals, and much more: "What God has promised us is not insulation, or magic protection from the results of the Fall. God has promised us Presence, and remarkably, has promised that the Presence will be enough—just what we need to live a life of peace, joy, hope, rest." For more from the book and my full review, please see From Blossom to Journey.