Trust the Rock

Some days are your average, ho-hum days that, when looking back, are impossible to distinguish from all the others.  And then there are days that are impossible to forget.  This was one of those days.  We set out from our house to hike up to La croix du Nivolet, a large 70-ft. tall cross at an elevation of 5,075 ft. 

 It was a beautiful day. We packed plenty of snacks, water and extra jackets and off we went.  The trail was steep at times, but not too difficult, and after a couple of hours, we came into a clearing just below the cross.  Two choices were before us now:  continue up to the cross on a path called "the chimney" or head back around the side of the mountain to access the cross from a more level, walkable path, about 2 hours out of the way.  

We are not rock climbers.  Okay, I am not a rock climber.  The kids are, well, they're kids:  strong, flexible, without much fear.  Steve has done lots of hiking and climbing with mentor/friend Jud as a college student, and later as a campus minister.  But I don't like heights.  And I certainly don't like climbing up the side of a mountain knowing how high I am off of the ground.   If I could have seen what all of the path looked like before starting out, I would have gladly chosen to walk 2 hours out of the way. I would have walked 5 hours out of the way if it meant keeping my feet on a nice wide, level path.  But we couldn't see all of the path before we started; we had no way to know what was ahead.  

View of  part of "the chimney" path.  Don't worry, I didn't take this photo.  I found it online.  I was not about to let go just to take a picture...and there wasn't snow on the path when we were there.

So we started up.  Progress was slow at first, as we discovered how to find good handholds and footholds.  Trust the Rock.  Jud's words, spoken through Steve, echoed in my mind with each step upward.  Find a good, sturdy rock, then put all your weight on it.  Trust the Rock.   If you are timid, if you doubt, your foot will slip.  Forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead...press on toward the goal.  God has a way of bringing strength through His Word at just the right time.  Forget what is behind you, press on toward the summit.   If you look back, even just for a glance, paralyzing fear will grip you.  This I know from experience.

We made it.  (Obviously.)  One step at a time, praying hard, holding tight as Steve encouraged us all to keep going.  Sitting on top, in the cool mountain air, Kaelyn expressed her thoughts with a quote she had read once in a book:  "you're never as alive as when you're almost dead."  My sentiments exactly! So many life-lessons to be learned from this experience.  So many new ways to understand what it means to walk by faith through this experience.   When the way is difficult, Trust the Rock.  When the path is uncertain, Trust the Rock.  Come what may, Trust the Rock.