Press On

When I was 14 years old, I went on a backpacking trip with the church that my grandparents hosted. Our destination was Pecos Baldy in the Sante Fe National Forest in New Mexico. From my grandparents' cabin, you can look off of their porch, out over the tops of the trees and see Pecos Baldy, covered with a thin layer of snow most of the year.

Well, I set off on this backpacking trip. It was my grandmother, me and another lady and then about 10 guys. My grandparents taught us to pack smart. We had our tent and sleeping bag, some beef jerky, trail mix, water, a couple of extra pairs of socks, etc. But, they didn't allow us to overpack. I'll never forget the other lady that came brought a wash tub so she could wash her clothes and bathe (not important to this story, but it was quite a sight, seeing her poor husband carrying that washtub on his back!). She also wore her brand new "outdoorsman" designer hiking shorts. We were going through brush, and it was going to get very cold at night. She looked like she had just stepped out of a Banana Republic advertisement, but obviously, she wasn't a seasoned backpacker.

Anyway, we hiked the entire day--something like 8 miles through the mountains with our packs on our backs. It was rugged. I'll never forget how tired we were when we made camp that night. We had just enough time to build a fire and heat up rocks to stick in the bottom of our sleeping bags so we'd stay warm. Then came the rain. It was torrential rain. It's amazing that it didn't take our tent and all of us down the mountain, but somehow, we stayed grounded that evening.

The next morning, we were tired, hungry, sore, and still had the hardest climb ahead. I remember waking up and seeing the peak of Pecos Baldy. We were camped at the bottom of a cliff leading up to it. I remember thinking, "I've seen it, and I've really gone far enough. Let's go home." But, I had already come that far, so even though some stayed behind at camp, I began up the final trail with my brother, grandmother and grandfather.

As we started up, rain clouds moved in again. But we were determined to make it to the top. After negotiating all of the switchbacks, we finally made it to the top. I can't describe that view. It was absolutely breathtaking! I could see the top of every other mountain in the range. They looked like little stepping stones from our viewpoint. But what I remember most was the feeling of accomplishment. I had pushed, I had stuck it out with all of those boys, and I reached my goal. And what an amazing reward--the view and the tremendous sense of accomplishment! I praise God every time I think of that moment--for the splendor and beauty of His creation.

Since then, every time I've encountered something I didn't think I could handle, I've remembered that moment. Physically, I've never endured anything so tough (except maybe the 10 days I spent in Eastern Cuba). But what I learned was that if I perservered and didn't give up, anything was possible. It was a life lesson in just a few days' journey.

I believe that is a glimpse of the type of perserverence Paul writes about in Philippians 3:12-14:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

God has a job for me in His Kingdom. He has set forth many goals. The journey has already been long, but Paul challenges us to forget what is behind us--in other words, don't look back. He tells us to keep pushing forward--there are even better things to come! Our Pastor's series, "Fit for Life" reminded me of this journey to Pecos Baldy. It reminds me that every day, I'm on a Heavenly journey. I need to keep my eyes focused on the goal. I need to continue to press on, striving toward what is ahead. I need to make sure that I keep my eyes on the prize "...for which God has called me..." not the prizes of this world. There is much work to do. I'm just thankful that God allows me to be a part of His incredible Kingdom work!

Thank You Lord for teaching us so much through our everyday experiences. Thank You for not being only a God of the past, but a God of the present and the future. Thank You for the lessons You teach me daily. Thank You for being a God who doesn't constantly remind us of our failures, but reminds us of our successes. Thank You for Paul and his writings to the church of Philippi--the encouragement it brings to us as we press on towards Your goals. Sustain us, encourage us, and help us keep our focus on You.