Three weeks ago I completed my most challenging hike to date and probably the second most strenuous physical endeavor of this season of my life (the first is definitely my peloton century ride).
With my absolute favorite hiking group, I conquered Table Rock Mountain in South Carolina, completing nearly eight miles and reaching a summit of a little more than 3000 feet of elevation.
Hard. Long. Taxing. AND … worth every single step.
Each break was spent laughing, talking, hydrating and gearing up for the next leg. Just when we thought we were done, the hiking leaders gently reminded us we had just a few more feet to go.
But we did it!
The hike down was just as difficult, if not more so, but again – worth every step.
And the hike represents so much of this chapter of my life. Endeavors that are new. Novel. Sometimes feeling almost otherworldly. Done with others, with a few steps of solitude along the way. Challenging. Stretching me in unimaginable ways. And yet, worth every single step. Worth every moment of questioning. Worth every bit of frustration. Worth every ounce of “Did this just happen?”
It’s my growing season. It’s my continued surrender season. It’s my “I can only rely on you, Lord” season.
Like the hike, the views once I reach each peak remind me that the journey can be both challenging AND rewarding. There CAN BE beauty in the midst of what feels like endless strife. And if I trust the process … if I trust MY source, I can journey through the terrain with confidence, JOY, and God-granted strength.
So, like my next hike, I’m walking forward in this season. Taking the obstacles in stride and very much looking forward to the next beautiful “view.”