The Climb Is Worth The Beauty

I went on a hike today with a friend to Cleo's Bath. It wasn't like the hike I had in my head. I was picturing a nice, easy, leisurely hike. After a week of exercise, that sounded nice. Instead, it was an intense, you-need-to-be-in-shape-to-do-this kind of hike. It included lots of climbing- lots of really intense climbing.

See the blue arrow? We followed it and climbed up!

Me climbing!

These hikers graciously allowed me a photo
to show the intensity of the climb.

When we reached the top, when all the climbing was done, the view was amazing, as was what we found!

We got to spend some time chilling on the rocks, enjoying the view. As I sat on a rock and looked around, taking in the beauty around me, a thought struck me. My friend had mentioned how you wouldn't know this was here from Pinecrest because you can't see it. That is, unless you hiked up to it.

Her words made me realize that the hike, the climb, was worth all the beauty that we were surrounded by. If we wouldn't have made that climb, we wouldn't have been able to see what was there for us to enjoy. Sure, the climb was hard and intense and our bodies are extremely sore from it, but it was totally worth it.

Isn't this just like life? We don't know what's up ahead unless we trudge ourselves onward, despite the difficulty or pain, or the intensity of the climb, walk, run, or whatever it is...and if we don't keep going, we'll never know. We'll never get to see the beauty that is awaiting us.

I think I have blogged about this before, so if I have, I don't apologize because it's pertinent in my life currently.
I've been climbing a mountain for a while now, seeming to not get any closer to the top. It's intense, hard, and pain inducing. I'm sore, exhausted, and I want to quit.

But what keeps me going, just like what kept me going on this hike/climb, is knowing that it will be worth it at the top. I have friends who spur me on, encouraging my heart that this difficult trek will be worth it once I reach my destination. And they know, because they have been there. My friend who I hiked with today had been to Cleo's Bath before, so I could believe her when she said it'd be worth it.

It's not easy sometimes. Despite what people tell me, I still want to quit because it's just too hard, and I don't care about what's at the top.

But then God gives me something like today that encourages my heart to keep going one more day.

Pinecrest, where we hiked from, is way in the background. It's the little blot of brown sandwiched between the two rows of green trees.