I had a cramp in my right hip and we’d only been hiking 20 minutes. This wasn’t a good sign considering we still had about 7 miles to go and more than 4,500 vertical feet yet to climb.
I was in Colorado last week for a few days. On the spur-of-the-moment some friends and I decided to hike Long’s Peak. We’d scrounged around to find the needed gear and then dropped into bed to get four hours of sleep before getting up to start our hike at 2:30 AM. (In order to climb Long’s Peak, you have to start before 4 AM so you can be off the summit before noon when thunderstorms start rolling in.)
We were on the trail by 3:30 AM. Using head lamps and flashlights we made our way up the mountain in the dark through the alpine forest, then on up above tree line.
Each step brought new sensations. At first my hip hurt, then as that pain receded, my neck and shoulders began to ache. I kept climbing, one step at a time.
As I hiked I thought of the parallels to the Christian walk. At times we are faced with hardships and trials. Just as I kept my eyes fixed on the rocky path in front of me on that dark mountainside, we as Christians must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Also, as I climbed, the pain eventually subsided and the sun finally came up, lighting my path. With our eyes on Jesus, our trials will pass and one day we will see the Son coming for us.
Charlie, Chris, and Kent made it all the way to 14,259 ft, the highest spot in the Rocky Mountain National Park (I was forced to stop just a little lower at 13,748). The sights we saw and the lessons learned won’t soon be forgotten.