Yesterday, several members of my daughter’s 11th grade class climbed a mountain.
CCA Class of 2017
They were on the mountain for almost 3 hours. They returned exhausted, a little bruised, and incredibly hungry. But they loved it. They bonded as a class. They watched the sun set from the summit. They returned with inside jokes and funny stories and huge smiles.
Emma’s classmates talked about how tough the climb up was, how they almost quit. It took much longer than they expected! And they said the hike down was difficult because they were so tired, and they had accomplished their goal (reaching the top), so the “thrill” was gone. Emma said they might have quit, if not for their hiking leader – a young man who had hiked this mountain before and encouraged them the climb was worth the effort. She said she’d never have done it alone, but with friends, it was actually fun.
I thought, “This is so much like the Christian life!” We are constantly “hiking”. Some of us are on the way up a mountain, some are on the summit, others are coming down off the mountain, and still others are returning to a particularly challenging mountain to guide others across.
“A cord of three strands is not easily broken”
While the climb isn’t always enjoyable, it IS worth it. But we can’t do it alone! We need guides who can tell us where to go, and we need friends to help us when we fall. Independence has its place, but not in the Christian life. We were created for fellowship, we are commanded to love each other and bear our brothers’ burdens.
Do you have “hiking buddies”? If not, why not?
“Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.” ~ Ecc. 4:9-10
