blog post from 9/17/2022-
The other day we went hiking to the top of Mt. Yonah here in Gainesville to camp at the top…and it was rough. I won’t lie, the way up that mountain was filled with blisters, bugs, and my sweat mixing with my own tears. Some people Usain Bolt-ed their way up that mountain but I’ve come to realize that’s just not me. God grants us with specific gifts and physical stamina is not entirely one of mine. At a certain point a little after the halfway mark, already wishing to turn around and go sleep in the van, I found myself alone for the just about the rest of the way up. I broke down, I was tired, I was feeling faint, and I may or may not have had a minor concussion already (another story). Every time I turned a corner thinking I was done there was just MORE. More rocks, more uphill slants, and more chances for me to break my ankle (again). The last 1/4 of the hike was just filled with me crying out to Jesus for some supernatural strength to not pass out and roll back down this mountain. Through my tears and doubts I imagined the uphill slant I was on as the stairs to the gate of heaven. I thought of Jesus standing at the top of the stairs waiting for me to get there, and I found myself so frustrated that I was in so much pain (honestly more emotionally than physically) trying to make it to the top and that I was alone in it. As soon as I finished that thought I imagined Jesus walking down the stairs to meet me where I was at. Read that again. The Almighty God and Creator of the universe comes down to meet us where we are at. That is so special. Me and Jesus walked up that last bit of the hike together and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t any less painful. I wasn’t any less thirsty. And it wasn’t any easier. But I wasn’t alone. Sometimes our struggles are DIFFICULT. They break us, they test us, and they often look like a hike up a mountain more than a brisk walk in the park. But we have a friend in Jesus. A comforter, a protector, and someone who is willing to come down the stairs to meet us where we’re at and help us get to where we’re going. With that said, I’m hereby retiring from my hiking career. If God really wants me to I will give Him my yes and do it time and time again, but as of now I’m deciding to send my hiking boots home. (they were weighing me down anyways).
Thanking God for simultaneously the toughest and most fruitful three weeks of my life! I’m super excited about this last week here in Gainesville and then we travel to Black Mountain, North Carolina to do domestic ministry and I’m STOKED.
goodbye from Gainesville :))
