Wrong side of the mountain

I remember my mom telling me about her Mount Kilimanjaro adventure. The bulk of the time of the journey is spent climbing to different levels and acclimatizing to the altitude. The final ascent and decent are done in one long, exhausting day.

Have you found yourself on what seems to feel like the wrong side of the mountain? I know I'm feeling that right now. The challenge that lies ahead of me feels totally insurmountable. What I do know for sure though is that I have to keep on going just one step at a time.

It is during these phases of life that we feel as though we actually must be doing something wrong, perhaps even going in the wrong direction. The climb is slow and hard and all the while the air seems thinner and thinner making it hard to breath.

What an experienced climber knows though is that a slow ascent is necessary for survival. Go up too fast and you are likely to die from altitude sickness. So too in life the Holy Spirit is our experienced guide and he leads us up those challenging mountains of life slowly. Then when we are ready, we can make the big push to not only reach the summit and experience the glory of victory but to also descend back to safety.

I know it is hard, but trust your guide, He knows what He is doing.