Looking Up: The Hike

A few years ago, I went on a weekend hiking trip with a group of about twenty other people. We stayed at a campground up in the mountains that was kind-of in the middle of nowhere, without any amenities. If we wanted to wash, we had to haul a bucket of water up from the river that was down the hill from our campsite. It was springtime, so it was warm during the day, but chilly at night. We bundled up in our sleeping bags and wore knit caps to stay warm while we slept. I chose not to sleep inside one of the tents, but rather under a tarp out in the open, because I wanted to be able to see the stars and the moon and to feel the night breeze.

We were there for two nights and parts of three days. We would go hiking during the day, and then go back to base camp at dinnertime. We also spent some time going off on our own individually to spend some time alone and write in our journals. At the end of each day, we would spend some time together around the campfire, talking about the day and what we had learned. Part of the purpose of the trip was to look inward – we all have much that we can learn about ourselves, if we’re willing to look.

Saturday was the roughest day because we went on the longest hike. Most of our other hikes were short hikes, but we had a specific destination in mind for Saturday, and it was quite a distance away, and mostly uphill. We were hiking a path that mostly followed the river upstream. Sometimes we could see the river through the trees, and sometimes we couldn’t. We had heard that there was a beautiful waterfall at the end of this hiking trail, and wanting to see it, we assumed that the long, difficult hike would be worth it to see the waterfall.

Now I’ve got to be honest, I wasn’t in the best physical condition then. I hate to admit it, but I was smoking at the time (though not on the trip), too, so my lung capacity wasn’t exactly what it should have been, either. But I was determined to complete the hike, even though it wasn’t easy. When my legs started to ache, I had to find a branch to use as a hiking stick. I was very thankful for my canteen of water, which I had to drink from regularly. There were several times that I considered sitting down and giving up, unsure as to my ability to make it to the end of the trail. But I kept going, and every time I saw a trail sign indicating how far it was to the waterfall, it gave me the drive to keep going.When we began the hike, we were all commenting on how beautiful the area was. The sun kept shining through the trees and sparkling on the water. Occasionally we saw an animal, such as a rabbit, or a deer, and we could hear the birds singing in the trees. It was very peaceful and quiet. I kept looking around and admiring the landscape. Unfortunately, with the strain of the hike, it got to the point that I stopped looking. I think I started to lose sight of why we were on the hike in the first place.

I hadn’t seen a trail sign in a while when one of my friends, who had been ahead of me, came back to see how I was doing. I remember asking her how much farther it was to the waterfall. She stopped walking, and turned to look at me, with a puzzled expression on her face, and told me that we were there. I was only then that I realized I had been hearing the sound of the waterfall crashing into the river for quite some time, I simply hadn’t been paying attention – I wasn’t looking up. All my energy was concentrating on simply getting through the hike because it was difficult. I was so focused on where I was walking, that I wasn’t watching where I was going. And that’s when it really hit me: all too often life is like that.

Throughout our lives, we spend too much of our energies focusing on our day-to-day struggles, that we forget why we’re here – we forget what the ultimate goal really is. Life throws so much at us that sometimes it seems too much to bear, but we don’t have to do it on our own. There is a much greater strength for us to lean on -- A strength that will never fail, though our own strength might. We need to look up. The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13 NIV) Unfortunately, we often forget this simple fact -- When we accept God into our hearts and into our lives, He will be there for us through everything we have to endure in this life.

I’m not saying that as soon as you give your life to Christ everything suddenly becomes easy, because it doesn’t – in fact, sometimes it becomes more difficult. By definition, the World and Faith oppose each other. Society tends to reject the faithful. The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans "... We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit whom He has given us." (Romans 5:2b-5 NIV) When I was on that hike, I was tired, I was hot, my legs hurt, I was out of breath, I was thirsty, and I was tempted to give up, but I knew that I needed to keep going, so I didn’t give up, and I’m glad that I didn’t. The sweat and the pain were worth it to see that beautiful high waterfall crashing over the cliff into the river. When I saw it, I wondered how I ever could have considered giving up. Paul wrote to the Philippians “…But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b-14 NIV) The prize that God has waiting for us will be worth anything we have to go through in this life. Our lifetime is like a grain of salt compared to eternity.

There was much that got me through the hike and helped me to keep going: the branch I turned into a walking stick, my canteen filled with water, and my friends. God gives us many things to help us get through our lives. The walking stick added to my own strength – I leaned on it and it supported me. “The LORD is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him.” (Exodus 15:2 NIV) The water quenched my thirst and cooled me. “Jesus [said], "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13b-14 NIV) My friends encouraged me with their smiles and kind words. Jesus said in John’s Gospel, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:26-27 NIV)

There is no need to allow ourselves to get so anxious and stressed out over the troubles we face in our lives. If we turn to God for help, He will carry us through it. Jesus said in Matthew’s Gospel, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:33-34 NIV) We need to look to Him FIRST. When we put our faith in God, and trust in Him, we have assurance of His promise, “[Jesus said] …and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20 NIV)

I made it through that hike, and the experience has stuck with me, because it forced me to realize something about myself. I try so hard to do everything on my own – using my own strength, and you know what – I often fail because I’m simply not strong enough. No one is. But I don’t have to be – because God is strong enough, and I’ve put my life in His capable hands. Every time I start to feel the stress and strains of life dragging me down, I remember to look up.