Now I'm Extreme!!

Today I participated on probably the craziest hike of my life. And I finished it! I doubt I will ever do it again, haha, but I did it! I, along with 3 other leaders and 19 teenagers from Philadelphia completed one of the hardest climbs of our lives!

We left the church around 8:00 this morning (we would have left earlier but Dario took a very long time finding his shoes) and drove to Blue Rock Camp Grounds, about an hour and a half away. I was under the impression that we were going to go on a somewhat leisurely hike for a few hours and then swim for a little while before heading home. I was wrong.

We started the day with a boulder climb. Yes, we climbed up a mountain of boulders. Here is a picture from the bottom looking up...

You can't even see the top from this picture. The climb took about 45 minutes each way. Some people went slower than others, but we all completed it. There were a few minor falls, but nothing serious. We were all just so excited to complete it!!

From there we ate lunch and we assumed that we would head to the pool afterwards. Instead, there was another hike planned. We decided to split into 2 groups...one would go on an easier 2 mile hike while the other would head up the mountain on about a 4.5 mile hike. I asked if there was any difference between the two hikes besides that distance and was told that there really wasn't. I was pretty energized from the boulder climb so I thought I could handle a 4 mile hike...plus I really wanted to be extreme. :)

It wasn't long after we started the extreme hike before I realized that there was more than a distance difference between the 2 hikes. The first mile and a half of the extreme hike was straight up! I am not exaggerating at all...we were going straight up! It was the steepest climb I have ever done!! Many of us were surprised at the severity of the climb and thought about turning back several times, but decided to push through. I did not move fast, I rested often...but I made it. We all did!! It was hard, we pushed through and made it to the top of the mountain. And the view....

As we were climbing the mountain (when we weren't out of breath), we had some incredible conversations about God. "How do you get anywhere in your spiritual life? You struggle". That is a quote from Jonerik's last sermon that has been ringing in my head for the last few days. I thought about it a lot recently as I struggled with my sin, and I thought about it today as I struggled up the mountain.

Neither struggle was pretty, and I wasn't too excited that people we watching me struggle. I would have much rather gotten to the top of the mountain without anyone seeing how hard it was for me to get there. However, when I got to the top...when I saw the incredible beauty before me the struggle didn't matter any more, and neither did the fact that people watched me struggle.

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" ~Hebrews 12:2

I want to get somewhere in my spiritual life...I want to get to the top of the mountain and behold the glory that awaits me there. How do I get there? I struggle. But I will make it. :)