Enjoying the Climb

I set my backpack down and took out my water bottle. Gently, I eased my weary legs down onto a rock and breathed a sigh of relief. The climb had been tough, and we had faced many unexpected encounters and rugged stretches of terrain. At one point, I noticed that the trail suddenly vanished, and I had to carefully weigh the placement and direction of each step after that. We had been planning this climb for months, and training with some helpful friends who held me accountable. At base camp, I felt that I was more than ready and adequately equipped to summit this mountain. But now, as I sat down to rest, I felt a wave of two different emotions.

I felt nervous for the rest of the trek based on the unexpected things that had already occurred. Yet I also felt proud to look down at the different obstacles I had mastered and to see where I was now. It made me all the more determined to climb to the summit, for that was the ultimate goal. That was going to be the gold medal moment. That was going to be the picture perfect experience that I would have to share with my friends and to bask in my accomplishment for the rest of my life.

As I sat reveling in these thoughts, my husband, who sat next to me, startled me when he said, “Wow! Just look at that view!” I had almost forgotten he was there. I stared at him blankly, saying, “Huh?” He pointed to the expanse of creation that we could see, and I followed his finger to…well… to the wonderful world I had been missing. I gazed in awe for a moment; then I looked back to him and smiled. And in that moment, the Lord spoke to me. “Life is a climb like this one, and I made you to grow in Me with each new day. Yet you do not simply achieve spiritual maturity or abundant living by forging your way to the summit. It happens as you enjoy the journey with the one you’re with.” (Col.3:1)

We can be so intimidated by the looming face of the mountain above us, or so puffed up by the proof in the face of the mountain below us, that we completely forget about the intimacy in the face right beside us. When we focus too much on our level of progress, we miss out on the views God has created for us to experience on the journey. God has written a beautiful story for our lives, and He longs for us to be elevated in our faith. But we do not fulfill this by simply following a number of religious steps to reach spiritual hierarchy. It happens as we enjoy the ongoing relationship with the One Who joins us on the climb. May we shift our eyes from the mountain face to the Master’s face and see what happens.