Navigating the In-between

I started up the trail with my backpack sagging behind me. It was packed with a water bottle, trail mix and a raincoat in case I needed one. The three other girls I was with skipped ahead with the adrenaline from the four-hour drive here and the decision to come only 12 hours before.

We were four girls determined to do the seven-mile hike to see Providence Canyon.

With no other map but a mental picture of the one in the gift shop, we followed the red arrows pointing to the trail we agreed to go on. We were focused on the end goal- we were focused on getting to the top.

As I dug my heels into the dirt, I grabbed at a root sticking out of the ground for balance. I placed one leg in front of the other in a synchronized beat to keep from letting the sand slip out from under me. One bad foot placement and I would be real close to busting it on the person behind me.

“When will we get to it?” was a popular question. We were three miles deep in a forest of trees and the sound of our voices echoed through the state park. There was still no sign of a canyon.

We kept trekking and followed the red arrows painted on the trees as we splashed through red clay that made its way up my ankles and onto my leggings. My backpack was soaked in sweat and the light rain that sprinkled on us every few minutes. The fourth mile was marked by another steep climb that required our full concentration to keep from wheezing as our lungs burned. Deep breathing techniques followed as we got to the end of the steep climb. There was still no canyon. The fifth mile required most uphill climbing with a few flat spaces in between. My legs were stinging as I kept my head down and lifted one leg after the other. Two more miles. I still couldn’t see a canyon.

It wasn’t until half-way through the sixth mile that we caught a glimpse of the red rocks forming through the trees. It was the motivation we needed to keep going. Finally, we saw it. The changing color of leaves showed in every tree that was inserted between tall rocks shooting up towards the sky. It was the most gorgeous view after our climb.

It’s in this moment that I realized this hike is similar to life.

I constantly want the mountain top with a pretty view. I find myself wanting to complain when I have to do the work to hike or I’m following a path that’s view has grown too familiar and boring. I forget to recognize that it was the in-between that got me where I need to be. It’s the in-between that prepares us for what’s ahead.

It’s the in-between full of fighting. My muscles sting, my lungs burn and my body aches as I’m hiking to the top. Energy is depleting, and I just want to see a result for my efforts. I just want to reach my goal. The hike leaves me exhausted, feeling like I can’t finish. It’s this in-between space of where I’m at and where I want to be that can hurt me or build me. It’s in this space that my muscles are strengthening. I’m being prepared for the mountain top, and perseverance is building character. God is preparing YOU for HIS mountain top.

It’s the in-between full of decisions. Different paths take me different places. We made the decision at the beginning to follow the red trail. It was five miles longer but had the better view. When it came to a crossroads and we had to choose, it was tough. At times, the blue trail looked easier and it was tempting to travel down that one. Had we done this it would’ve made us back-track on all the progress we had already worked so hard to get to. We had to keep following the red trail if we wanted to get to our end destination- even when it was harder and even when it seemed easier to take another trail. We have a choice to make: There’s a trail that’s right but is steeper, or there’s a trail that’s wrong but looks easier. One builds endurance on the way to the view, the other leads to feeling lost and confused. Stay on the right trail. Stay on the trail God is pointing you towards-shortcuts are not worth it.

It’s the in-between full of uncertainty. We walked for miles not knowing when we would get to the canyon. It could be two miles in or at the very end. We had to keep hiking in order to find out. Life is full of unknown answers and impatient waiting. We can’t always have the mountain top because then we would never have the skills to climb the next mountain. Find the happy while you’re waiting for the view. It was the in-between moments of the hike that built friendships, memories and laughs. Don’t waste a second of it!

These are the spaces God uses to grow us and shape us for His purpose. He uses the hike to build the muscles for perseverance, endurance and strength. We have to rely on Him to sustain and walk with us through the hike so we can complete it. When we feel like our legs want to give out and our heart grows faint, that’s when He reminds us of His promise. The view is coming- keep going because it’s going to be worth it!

Our end destination was the canyon. The hike is what I remember. The harder the hike, the prettier the view.