This past spring, I went to visit my brother in California. We set out on a trail in Palm Springs after taking a gondola 8,516 feet up with the goal of hiking another 2,000 feet. We had to check in at the ranger's station before we set out, we arrived at the station and the ranger on duty inquired about where we were headed, we shared to the peak, and he basically laughed at us and didn’t think we would make it.
We started out on our trek taking in the scenery and quietness of the surroundings. After a while, we were out of the trees and in more of a rocky terrain. There were so many moments on our trip up that one of us said I am not sure we’re going to make it, however, one of us just kept going. As we reached the peak of the mountain and took in the view, I was reminded that good things don’t always come to us easily. You need to put in the effort to get where you are going. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. James 1:2 Question for you, when you feel like you can’t reach that goal, do you give up and move on? Or does a friend or family member remind you to keep going, or someone gives you that extra encouragement you need to take the next step? Don’t give up on the goal or the life you feel like God is calling you to. Don’t get discouraged in a hard situation, remember that God is by your side guiding you along the way and sometimes He comes to you through family, friends, a stranger, or in a way you’re not expecting. Sometimes the unknown can be scary, what’s waiting on the other side of that big decision, the hard work you just put in, to not know what is going to come of it, which requires taking a leap of faith. Paul reminds us here in his letter to the church at Corinth to stand firm in our faith. Remembering that God is with you every step of the way. The things that we want to happen right away in life sometimes take longer than we like, but if we stand firm in our faith, God will carry us through. 1 Corinthians 16:13 reads: Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. The view from the top was amazing! I will never forget that experience because neither of us really felt ready for it once we are on our way up. With faith as your guide, there is no telling what God has in store for you! When we got back down the mountain we saw the same ranger and he asked, how far did you make it?? We shared all the way to the peak. The look of shock on his face was worth the trip :)
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Kelly HeckselI am a daughter of The King, wife to my husband, Shannon, and a mother to my four beautiful children. I have no religious training, just passionate about my faith and wanting others to know they are not alone and that we don't need to have everything figured out. Archives
December 2023
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