I hiked a mountain. Not just a baby hill or a mile slope upwards. I hiked a legitimate, freakishly huge mountain. For the hike only being 15 miles round trip, it is a whopping 11,749 feet in elevation and it took us 5 hours to hike one way.
Let me start from the beginning. I went to Utah to visit my baby brother and have a vacation. The day I fly in, my brother informs me that a few of his buddies are going to hike Mt. Timpanogos (a mountain I wanted to hike anyway) at 2 am to watch the sunrise. So, I meet up with my baby brother, eat dinner, take a nap until 1 am and meet up with his friends to start our journey.
We start hiking up this mountain, with a very low incline. It doesn't seem so bad, so I think to myself, man, this hike is gonna be a breeze. Little did I know of what awaited me. This mountain is a lot like life. You start off with a slight knowledge of what awaits you. You know it will be hard, you know you will need to be prepared and you know you will also fully enjoy it. you start at a small incline. Taking in your surroundings. This is beautiful, and peaceful. This is something you know you can do.
Soon, the elevation starts to incline and you start breathing heavier. You think, ok, this is a little tougher than before, the ground isn't paved and it is harder, but it will get better. And it does. You see sights you couldn't see at a small incline. You see a waterfall and a little view. And you're given a little break.
Then, you start climbing higher and higher. You can't seem to catch your breathe. Mind you, we are doing this hike in the dark, with a few flashlights leading the way. We are stumbling on rocks and slipping in dirt. It's cold and we are thirsty. I began to think: why didn't I better prepare myself for this hike? Why can't I get a little more light, a little more of a break to breathe? Why didn't I just sleep and go on a little hike in the morning that only took a few hours? As I am having this conversation in my head with myself, a distinct song began to play in my head.
"Lead kindly light amid the encircling gloom, lead thou me on! The night is dark and I am far from home, lead thou me on! Keep thou my feet, I do not ask to see the distant scene one step enough for me." I began to weep lightly.
As I was hiking this mountain, I began to realize that like life, we are often tossed in a scene that is dark and is unfamiliar. We are unprepared or think we are prepared when really, we do not have the foresight to know what hills and boulders we must climb to reach the top will be like.
We keep trudging toward the top of the mountain and reach a very thin path on the side of a cliff. One foot at a time, I keep telling myself. I don't think I can make it. If it wasn't for the guide we had, I don't think I would have. He held my hand in times of fear and he kept my mind focused and positive. Now, I don't want to compare any mortal being to the Savior, Jesus Christ, but this man, in the story at least, was a good representative. Our guide, the man who had hiked this tumultuous mountain on many occasions, knew the tricks to get up to the top. He knew the necessary steps it took and the safety measures we needed. Like our Savior, this man had been there, and was able to walk with me and hold my hand, ensuring my safety as we hiked.
So many times in life, we reach cliffs where we are stepping one foot in front of the other, wondering how we are making it without falling. I know, in these times, that it is indeed our Savior who is holding our hand, encouraging us to continue because "The view is worth this path. Trust me, You won't want to miss the beauty you are about to witness." We are stepping towards Heaven, towards Celestial glory and we don't wanna miss it. Every step is imperative to reaching the top.
Finally, after many hazardous paths, bouldering, steep mountain sides and some leftover ice, we reach the point we are to stop and watch the sunrise. Sitting down on that mountain top was perfection. There is no way I could have imagined the beauty that I witnessed that morning. The journey had so many ups and downs, emotionally, as well as physically, but was it worth it to be at the top and to witness the sun rising? ABSOLUTELY!And just like life, as scary, or unknown our path may be, as I continue to follow our savior and the holy ghosts promptings, as I took one step at a time, and allowed my faith to be bigger than all of the fears I had during this hike (and life) I could, and will make it to my goals, the top, the end.
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