Life: An Uphill Battle

This weekend I went on a hike in the mountains with eight kids who were almost 30 years younger than me. It was a one mile trek to the top, and we spent every step of the way cracking jokes and making plans of what we'd do if a bear came chasing after us.

As always, when I spend time with teenagers, they teach me huge life lessons. When you stand at the bottom of the trail and look straight up, reaching the top seems like an overwhelming feat.  So you shift your perspective and focus on taking the first step. Once we started walking, it didn't seem so bad. The trail wasn't very steep, so we were able to quickly gain ground.

As we traveled onward, I began to wear down, but I had crazy teenagers cheering for me.  That's one reason we need to always surround ourselves with friends. Life can be a little hard sometimes, so it's important to have people who will encourage you along the path. Having friends by your side makes the journey enjoyable.  Plus a little laughter along the way is good for the soul.

Sometimes life's journey is smooth, and climbing upward is easy. But other times the course is a little more difficult.  There may be bumps along the path, and unexpected things that cause us to trip, and sometimes even fall.  But if you're careful,  you can easily navigate, as long as you keep your eyes focused on what lies ahead. So onward and upward we climbed, enjoying every step of the adventure. The higher we climbed, the more beautiful the view.

But then the trail unexpectedly changed. The terrain became very rough and steep. My legs were burning like crazy, and I couldn't hardly catch my breath. Maybe this hike wasn't such a good idea after all. I mean, I could just wait for the kids while they raced to the top. I was probably just holding them back anyway.

Isn't that exactly what the devil would have me think? Aren't those the same tactics he employs on us?  He tries to discourage us. He tells us we can't make it to the top, and he tries to convince us to just give up on the journey.  Sometimes we may even be tempted to listen to that dumb devil. After all, the view was beautiful.  Did I really need more? When life gets difficult, wouldn't it sometimes just be easier to settle instead of pressing onward to reach the prize set before us? Those are lies from Satan. God has so much more in store for us, but we must keep moving.

Of course this story ends at the top of the mountain,  where all of God's creation is on display.  The view is breathtaking.  So grab some friends by the hand and keep trekking. Don't forget to laugh and encourage each other along the way  because an incredible journey lies ahead of you.

Brothers and sisters,  I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining for what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God had called me heaven ward in Christ Jesus.      ~Philippians 3:13-14