The Hike

Recently, I went on a 6 mile hike with a couple of friends. It reminded me a lot of life. We had never hiked in this area before and were uncertain where to start. As it turned out, we chose a way that presented quite a challenge. We stood before a mountain of rocks...our destination, the top. Confident we could scale this mountain of rocks, we set out. Step by step, rock by rock, we made our climb. We were certain that when we got to the top that we would find the marked trail we were looking for. With that in mind we took the challenge. Reaching the top, we had to rest. Sitting our weary bodies on a large boulder, we took some time to quiet ourselves and pray, thanking God for this opportunity and asking for direction and protection on our journey.

Once rested, We found the start of our path clearly marked. White blazes on trees and rocks, made it possible to follow the sometimes dense and treacherous path through the forest. Along the way there were areas we had to traverse some very high seemingly impossible cliffs, but the trail was marked, and so we trusted that others had gone before us and it was the way to go. Twinges of fear as we made the climb tried to pester us, trying to thwart our efforts in reaching our destination, but we pressed on, sometimes slowly, and very carefully. We saw wonderful things along the way, we also had some trip ups and falls.

When we finally made it to our destination, the pinnacle of the tallest rock formation, the glory of our God was revealed. The most beautiful view of such a small part of His creation brought us such joy and satisfaction. We had made it! The benefits were incredible, and unforgettable.

This hike parallels life in that God has a plan for us. Our path has been set. We don't always know where to begin and apart from Christ, our choices seem like tall mountains of rocks set before us. When we sit with Him though, and ask for direction and protection, keeping our eyes on the blazes He has marked along the way. God is faithful to guide us. When we are not keeping our eyes on God we will get tripped up and even fall, but He helps us up and sets us back on the path. God has so many encouragements for us as we travel, these things bring us hope on our journey through life. We will have mountains to climb and times that our circumstances are like that thick dense forest. God is like the blazes of white that marked our path on our hike. when we actively seek Him He will guide our way, and if we choose to follow the blazed trail God will bring us safely to our destination, that is, Home to spend eternity with Him.