Courage For Today

climb

The Peace in Learning to Enjoy the Journey

Encouragement

My wife and I had a great time this past summer visiting Stone Mountain Park, here in the Atlanta area, with our grandsons.  We had the opportunity to spend the day with them seeing the various sights and attractions and just had a wonderful time.  One thing that my grandsons had really wanted to do that particular day was climb to the top of the mountain.  Stone Mountain isn’t a particularly tall mountain and fortunately has walking trails to the top, but for a 5 and 6 year old, along with grandpa and grandma, it is a formidable task.

Even though our grandsons’ enthusiasm was much greater than mine and my wife’s, we relented and decided to start the slow trek up the mountain.   The beginning part of the trail was slow and gradual.  It seemed like we were taking forever to climb just a short distance, but I had to remind myself that it took 3 of their strides to equal 1 of ours, so I found myself walking ahead of them, then having to stop and let them catch-up, over and over again.

I was tired and sweaty, just wanting to get to the top of the mountain so I could rest and then start my way back.  I learned early on during our hike that this wasn’t going to be the case.  We had to stop and look at every large rock with someone’s name carved in it.  We looked at unusual plant formations.  We examined large trees that were growing crooked and we explored small rock overhangs that reminded the kids of caves. My grandsons viewed the hike as an exciting adventure.  Climbing the mountain was a trial to me and I was simply looking for the hike to be over with quickly before I succumbed to dehydration and heat stroke.  My grandsons were not focused at all on the trial of climbing the mountain; they were simply enjoying the journey of the hike.

I know when I face a trial in life, no matter what it is, I tend to dwell on the problem.  I want the trial to be over with quickly and let life get back to normal.  While I never enjoy being in the midst of a trial, I was reminded by my grandsons that I should always learn to enjoy the journey.  What can I learn during the course of the trial?  How can I grow?  What is God trying to teach me?

At some point, the trial will be over and we’ll be joyous for sure.  But, the real joy should not be that the trial’s over, but in celebrating what I learned during the journey.

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Walls in Our Lives Don’t Have To Be Barriers

Strength

I never cared for Physical Education classes when I was in High School.  I loved to play baseball and basketball, but I was not what you would consider athletic by any stretch of the imagination.  I think because P.E. wasn’t “fun” to me.  We were constantly running, jumping, or exercising of some type.  I really thought it was a waste of my time.  I spent most of my time during those classes day dreaming about other things and wishing I was somewhere else at the time.  Perhaps if I had been a star High School Football or Basketball Player things might have been different, but there was never any danger of that happening so it was agony for me each day of P.E. class.

I remember one particular class we were scheduled to be visited by a “special exercise guest.”  You just can’t get much more exciting than that.  I just knew that we were finally going to do something fun or meet some famous athlete.  We made our way from the P.E. Locker room and arrived out on the ball field only to be greeted by a local ROTC Drill Sergeant standing in front of a wooden wall with a rope hanging from the top.  You’ve seen them in movies involving soldiers and their training.  The goal is to run towards the wall; grab the rope; and pull yourself and climb up the wall and over.  My excitement turned to horror.  I knew my turn was coming and I would have to attempt the wall but, at that moment, I would have rather gone to the Dentist.  I knew I couldn’t climb that wall.  I could barely do pull-ups on the high bar, much less climb a wall while holding a rope.  Sure enough, my turn came.  I ran.  I pulled.  I climbed.  I fell.  Just as predicted.

I tried and tried over and over and just couldn’t make it.  After about 5 or 6 attempts, our guest Drill Sergeant pulled me aside and told me he had faith I could make it.  He told me that he was going to climb from the back of the wall, reach over the wall and be in position to grab my hand as I approached the wall.  Instead of using the rope, I was to jump and grab his hand and let him basically pull me up the wall.

After a few deep breaths, I ran as fast as I could toward the wall, jumped up toward the Sargent’s hand and somehow managed to almost reach the top of the wall.  Instead of grabbing his arm, I took hold of the rope, reached the remaining short distance to the top of the wall, threw my leg over the top, and landed on the other side—–just like I was supposed to do.  I don’t know how I did it, but there was something about just knowing that the Sergeant was there for support that increased my confidence to the point that I ended up not needing any assistance afterall.  I realized that his mere presence and encouragement was enough to make me successful.

What a wonderful Christian lesson I learned that day.  Even though I may not physically see God, I know that HE is part of my life.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that HE is there to reach out His arms to me for support.  I know that HE is there to wrap His loving arms around me when I need it most.  I know that HE is there to encourage me and help me overcome the barriers in my life.  Whatever barriers I have faced in life, I’ve learned that God is there to help me climb the wall and conquer the barrier.  I’m never climbing alone.

Are you facing walls and barriers in your own life?  If so, I would encourage you to approach those barriers with confidence and strength and remember that God is already there waiting for you during the journey and at the finish line with open arms.

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