10/13/2023
PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS! KEEP SCROLLING!
A Picture and a Story
Earlier this month, my family embarked on a vacation that revolved around visiting my wife’s brother, who became our tour guide. He has been living in this area for the past three years and knew some truly remarkable places to explore. This was quite exciting for me because I had grown tired of the tourist traps in the Smokies, like Cade’s Cove, which was once wonderful but is now overly crowded.
Additionally, my wife’s parents joined the trip, which also thrilled me because it meant the possibility of a rare night out with my wife. Such moments have become scarce due to our youngest child, Blake. Our daughter is on the autism spectrum and faces various challenges, with her intense separation anxiety being one of the most significant. But that’s a story for another day.
We endured a nearly 9-hour drive, rested for the night, only to wake up to the news that my father-in-law had contracted a stomach bug and had been vomiting throughout the night.
Our initial plan for this trip included hiking, and we had hoped that if our youngest wasn’t up for it, she could have fun with her grandparents, who weren’t particularly enthusiastic about hiking either. Oh well.
We decided to proceed to a place called Max Patch in North Carolina, with our kids in tow. If you’ve never been to Max Patch, the first part of the journey is quite easy as you can drive most of the way. However, you’re then required to stop and walk… a lot. Blake protested as loudly and proudly as she could. The weather turned out to be hotter than expected, which didn’t help her at all. To her, this was an enormous achievement.
We were just a few feet from the summit when she stopped and began to cry. But with some gentle encouragement, she eventually made it to the top.
And then, she saw it. At an elevation of 4,629 feet, Max Patch offers a breathtaking 360-degree view of the Appalachian Mountains, including the Blue Ridge and the Smokies. The Appalachian Trail crosses the top.
She was in awe, and so were we. In fact, she was so excited that we had to convince her that exploring on her own might not be the best idea.
The point is, she did it. Yes, we had to convince her, and yes, we had to keep pointing out the promise of better things at the top, but she got there by putting one foot in front of the other.
As I marveled at the scenery, I felt a connection with God. How often do I behave like Blake when it comes to the things God pushes me to do? And why does He even have to push at this point? I can attest that I’ve seen enough of God’s influence in my life to give Him my complete allegiance, to trust that He knows something I don’t. There have been moments when God guided me in a direction, and I got to witness the fruits of that labor, and there were times when I haven’t, at least not yet.
God reminded me that sometimes following Him will be challenging and, in some cases, even dangerous, but I am called to trust and obey because I can’t see everything. I don’t even know what will happen when I finish writing this sentence. Will I have the opportunity to write the next one?
One of my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes comes from his fiction. In “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” when discussing Aslan the lion, Beaver says, “Of course he’s not safe, but he’s good.”
Walking the path of Christ is neither safe nor always comfortable. For Jesus’ apostles, it was quite literal when He told them, “Take up your cross and follow me.” All but John died martyr’s deaths.
So maybe I shouldn’t complain about the uphill struggles in my life?
Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
If you are in Christ, He WILL complete the work He began in you. But I can imagine it goes much smoother if we don’t resist.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for not just scrolling past.
