Spiritual Hiking

By Judy Hagey

AL Communication Assistant

On a recent trip to the mountains of Colorado, I did some hiking with a son and daughter-in-law. We identified a point on a nearby mountain that we wanted to reach. It seemed to promise a relatively easy climb in exchange for a panoramic view of the valley below. Or at least that’s what we were told. 

As we began our climb, we agreed to walk for an hour and see how close we were to our goal. After

an hour of what felt to these flatlanders of nearly vertical climbing, we estimated that we were about half way toward our goal. The view from our turn-around spot was still spectacular, but we hadn’t

reached the top. Although we were disappointed that our goal was still a ways off, we did not berate ourselves for the progress we’d made. The exercise and fellowship were worth the effort.

“Wouldn’t it be great,” we agreed, “if we could come back some time and just start up where we’ve left off? Not have to retrace our steps from the very beginning.”

Maybe you’ve had similar thoughts about your spiritual hike. How often doesn’t our spiritual journey feel like two steps backward for every step forward. The path to Christlikeness is most often a rambling, sometimes circuitous route—rarely a steady upward trajectory. And after we’ve fallen back, wouldn’t it be great to regain territory without having to retrace the same painful steps? 

Neither life nor mountain hiking works that way. Many life lessons need to be learned multiple times during our lifetimes. Trust is one of those especially difficult lessons for me. Regardless of how often God has proven himself faithful in the past, when faced with uncertainty over the future, I fall back on self-doubt and fail to rely on God’s promises and past provision. Climbing through, around, and over the rocks of doubt and uncertainty ought to strengthen me for the next challenge, but often I fall back—needing to recall the ways God has provided in the past and re-reading his promises in the Word.

Still, there is much to learn from our erratic climb. We didn’t wait until we’d reached our goal to enjoy the scenery. During periodic breathers, we peered through the pine trees to the valley below. We noted our progress as the valley appeared larger the higher we climbed. We talked along the way, shared memories, hopes, dreams. We admired the beauty and magnificence of the mountains. Likewise, our spiritual journeys ought to include times of simply enjoying the journey, savoring our relationship with God and other travelers.

I would not have attempted this climb alone—not that it was dangerous. But mountain climbing like spiritual traveling is richer when shared. In fact, traveling solo is really not an option for our spiritual journey. We need one another to help navigate the rough patches and share in even our smallest accomplishments. The community of Christ followers goes beyond good friends, to the strangers and those who are difficult to love. Our latest free download, Community: Inviting Relationship explores Christ’s habit of sharing life with close friends as well as some unlikely characters. May your journey bring you closer to Christ and fellow travelers during this season.