I don’t know about you but camping and hiking have been one of the things that I have loved to do all my life. I have great memories growing up doing these things. When I got married and had a family my love of those things still continued. I had many adventures with my boys through the mountains. I remember following my oldest son’s lead and we had some interesting adventures.
I remember when my oldest was probably around 12. He and I and two of the boys that were younger went on a hike on logging roads through the mountains from our house to come out the other side at a ski mountain. We hiked 25 miles that day.
But then something happened. I got very ill. What took place was very debilitating to my body. There was over a whole year I could not really do anything. As I was able to get my strength back it still was never the same. We went on hikes but I couldn’t do much and one time my son had to carry me a mile out because my legs had given out.
After several years in this condition and I was introduced to some products that have helped me tremendously. In the last 2 years, I have been able to go on day hikes with my family. And these are not flat easy day hikes. These are hikes where you gain quite a bit of elevation. I have been so grateful for my improvement.
A week ago my boys asked me if I would go for a backpacking weekend with them. I was elated with the idea but wondered if I could really handle it. I wanted to give it a go. I started out with a 25-pound pack, which wasn’t bad. We hiked into a small lake 3-3/4 miles in. I did great. Balancing with a pack on your back is different so I did fall a couple of times, once on the way in and once on the way out.
Then came Saturday. A ridge down in a bowl surrounded the lake we were at. We decided to climb up to the top of this ridge and hike all the way around and down the other side ending back at the lake. I don’t know what elevation we went up to but it was quite a hike up. There was no trail we just went crashing through the trees and brush to the ridge. We thought once we got up there it would be smooth sailing. It was easier when we got to the top because there was not all the brush and trees. They can’t survive there due to the harsh environment, wind etc.
I should tell you at this point, I am afraid of heights. It was beautiful (not as beautiful as it could have been due to smoke from the fires) up there but to look down, for me was tough.
As we hiked the ridge it was too bad. But then we started ascending another area that was covered with big rocky cliffs. We had to maneuver through them and it was getting tougher for me. Besides just climbing up rocks I am afraid of heights. But that was nothing compared to what was to come.
Once we got to the top it was a beautiful view. In order to get to the ridge that kept going around the lake we were camped at, we needed to go down this one area. They were trying to figure out a way down because it looked as if it was just a cliff. Finally, they felt there was a safe way down. Okay, now we are maneuvering through rocky cliffs down the ridge. How does that work for someone afraid of heights? Not too well. Now you have no choice you already have to look down.
Let me tell you it was crazy. There were some pretty sketchy areas for me but my boys were so patient. They had to help me down, using their hands as foot holds for me and taking all the weight of my body. You might say we were scaling a cliff only in the downward direction. My son brought rope but he left it at the camp, what good that did. We were not expecting to be doing this. 
When we got to the bottom and my son looked up he said, “If I could have seen what we were coming down I never would have brought you this way.” The great news is that I made it. Thankfully none of us fell to our death, which was very possible. One slip and you would have been over the edge and hitting the rocks below. It makes me cringe to even think about it.
I love God’s second book, nature. There are so many spiritual lessons we can learn from nature and our experiences in nature.
We all have started our Christian “hike” doing something we have never done before. Whether we have been raised a Christian or not there comes a time in your life where you have to step out and have your own personal “hike” with God. We don’t know what to expect but we forge ahead.
And most of us, coming in, is carrying a heavy “pack”, some heavier than others. We haven’t learned how to give everything to God so that we are only carrying the necessities. The great thing about God’s “pack” is that it is easy and light. As we cooperate with Him our “packs” become lighter and lighter. We have to let go of what we think is necessary, bitterness, unforgiveness, pride, lust, etc. Those things are so heavy they weigh us down and it is almost impossible to “hike” on the trail to heaven.
The path to heaven is narrow and as we “climb”, get closer to His coming, the path gets more and more narrow. We have to continue to let go of all our things in our “pack” or they are going to weigh us down and cause us to lose our balance so that we fall to our eternal death.
At times we will be “climbing” very rough and steep places in our lives. It will be difficult but as long as we keep our eyes upward and head toward the Light, Jesus, we will not lose our balance.
There are times that we are going through such difficulties that everything around us is a precipice and in order to keep going forward, we have a fear of stumbling if we are not looking down. The amazing difference between an actual hike and our walk with God is that as long as we keep our eyes focused upward we can make it through all the difficulties and rough spots. He leads us through. We do not need to focus on the evil things of this world or any of the bad things that are happening. Those are only stumbling blocks to us and take our eyes off of what we should be beholding. We need to be beholding Christ.
When you are hiking there are a couple of things that are very necessary and that is water and food. You need water to stay hydrated and you need food to keep nourished and to give you strength. The same is true of our Christian “hike”. Christ is the water of life and we need to drink freely from Him. We also need to “eat” His Word for nourishment, to keep our strength up. If we take food with us on a hike and we feel it and look at it but never put it in our mouths, chew it up, and swallow it, we will never receive the benefit. The same is true of “eating” God’s Word. We can’t just have God’s Word, feel of it or scan over it. We need to be devouring it. We need to be “chewing”, studying and memorizing it. Only then can we actually be benefited by it.
I remember when we were hiking how someone had a map on their phone so that we could see where we were and where we were going. That is what the Word of God does for us as well. It is like a map. It shows us where we are at and where we are going. When the Topographical map was looked at I had no clue what anything meant and how to even read it so I relied on those that knew. We need help in understanding the “Map”, God’s Word. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us. This is where prayer comes in. All we need to do is ask and God will send His Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds.
Another thing that we needed on our hike that would have been such a benefit is rope. It did not do us any good sitting back at camp. As a Christian, we always need our rope with us. We can’t leave it back at “camp”, try to make it without it, or discard it. It has to be with us constantly if we want to survive the “hike”. What is this rope? I think of the rope like faith. We have to hang onto Christ with faith. As we hang onto “rope” it will be as strong as we need it to be. And when the “hike” gets rough the “rope” will become the size you need only as you hang on. We have to hang onto the “rope”, faith. We can put all our weight on this “rope” and we will never fall. Our God is so great! He has given us all the provisions. We are the ones that hold ourselves back because we start to rely on others or ourselves instead of God.
Dear Father,
Forgive us for not relying on You as we should. Continue to prompt our hearts to put our full trust in You. Thank You for Your patience with us.
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Make sure to read your “Map” everyday so you know and can stay on the path that leads to eternal life. Let God have full control of your life to make your burden’s light so that you won’t lose your balance and fall. Keep your eyes up to the One with all the answers.
Love you all
What lessons have you learned while hiking?