He guides.

Mountaintops are hard to get to.

Every year my family and I travel to Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island in Maine. If you’ve ever been to this part of New England than you know that everywhere you look there’s a different mountain that provides a different view of the Island, the Atlantic, and the towns below.

I’m not gonna lie, it takes a lot of effort on my part to reach the summit of the mountains.

Sometimes complaining takes place as calves scream, “HOW DID YOU EVEN THINK YOU COULD DO THIS?” Your feet sweat similarly to your head as the sun beats down onto your scalp. Water is chugged. Sustenance is devoured. Mantras are spoken (You know the typical - “You’re almost there!” “Just a little bit farther!” “This is good exercise!” “The view is gonna be great!”). Until finally there is a break in the forest lines, and you take your Rocky Balboa stance on the top of the stone next to those little cairns. Your mom pats you on the back and smiles saying, “I knew you could make it!” And your Dad asks you to pose for a picture with the scenery in your rear. And you think, “What was I ever worried about? An hour passed by in the blink of an eye!”

Picture walking up these stony hills in which your feet are liable to trip, in which roots stick up ready to cause you to fall, in which sunshine beats down, calves hurt, and mantras must be spoken.

Add a blindfold to cover your eyes, and place a strong hand in yours leading you to the mountain top. As soon as you get out of the car and say “I’m ready for the adventure.” This blindfold slips over your eyes and however comforted you feel, you’re a bit nervous about where it will lead you. You are increasingly at ease as you feel the strong muscles of the hand wrapped around your weak one.

As you begin, you hear this being telling you that the view will be great, but, prepare yourself, it’s gonna take a while to get there. It’s a hike and a hard one at that.

You hear the words, “I've got the water. I've got the sustenance.”

As you begin to walk, you realize that this is no ordinary hike.

You stumble up the first few rocks, your feet slipping, but the hand never leaves yours.

Comforted, you continue and realize that the ground has leveled out.

At peace, you continue to tread, a smile spreading across your face.

This carries on for a few minutes until you fall.

You feel the blood beginning to trickle down your calves that have started to burn, and you feel the hand letting go.

Heart dropping, you realize that this hand is making itself distant.

But just before you go to remove the blindfold you hear the deep comforting tones of the voice that you've grown to love saying, “Follow my voice. Trust that I will not lead you somewhere that will cause peril. I have promised and I will fulfill. Trust in my voice. Follow me.”

So you crawl because your calves and your heels hurt from scuffing the rocky earth.

The voice continues calling, “Follow me. It will get better in time and the blessing of a view is waiting at the end.”

You continue to stumble, your fingers grasping the stones but you've already realized that the pain is only temporary.

Almost to your end, you finally feel hands slipping boots onto your naked toes - “I was waiting for you to learn this lesson, my sweetheart. Wait on me. Whether I feel distant or so near that you’re touching me.”

The hand hoists you up onto strong shoulders, and softly says, “You’re tired. I will carry you, my darling.”

This carries on.

Removed from shoulders and placed on steady ground.

The soft earth becomes rocky and filled with roots that cause bloodied ankles and you’re back on the ground, crawling.

Over and over this is repeated, but it’s always a different tripping device used.

Every time you crawl through a different terrain, following the voice in the distance, the voice equips you with another piece of protection - Knee pads, a helmet after that time you continued to hit your head, band-aids for the injuries, bug spray for the gnats that bite at your flesh, sustenance after the hunger, water after the thirst.

He takes you to what feels like the end of strength and then when you feel as if you have nothing left He gives you steady ground and whatever it is that you absolutely need in the quantity that is absolutely necessary.

And when the hand and the voice are seemingly quite distant, you hear the feet of the being of the hand treading on the gravel, and you follow, slowly but surely.

Meekly but ever so steadily.

For hours and hours.

Days upon days.

Tripping device upon tripping device.

Rocky ledge upon rocky ledge.

Following this strong hand will get you to the mountain top.

There are various peaks on the way there in which your blindfold is removed and you overlook a serene valley. And He reminds you that due to his strength and wisdom, “You've made it to the first outlook!...But we must continue for there is a much better view waiting.”

-

My Lord is the hand and the voice and the feet that have guided me through bloodied knees and scuffed calves.

He’s guided me through cliff walks and wide paths.

He’s taken me through darkness and light.

He’s removed my blindfold at the peaks.

The views at these peaks are so worth the pain - “constant through the trial and the change, this one thing, this one thing remains...His love NEVER fails." 

His hand never ceases to guide.

Trust in his voice, in his hand, in the sounds of his feet.
Don’t lose hope.

-

There have been so many times when I so wanted to turn my back on Him.

And yet, he always shows himself in perfect timing that waiting for him in the midst of hardship will always be worth it.

May my life, by the Grace of God, resemble that of someone who faithfully depends on the LORD God, my Father, through the peaks and troughs of this life.

James  1:12 

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.