Every time I hike I meditate on something new. On Saturday, my mum and I and two other friends went to the Cathedral Range State Park. It was a test of endurance, doing 8.5km in 5 hours, but I loved the challenge of scaling steep rock faces. It was so much more mentally stimulating than a standard hike, and the stunning views were totally worth it! It was tough going, as I’m a little afraid of heights, and going down steps is not my favourite at all.
But, it reminded me to ‘be assured that the testing of your faith leads to power of endurance’ (James 1.3, Weymouth). Endurance is about patience, perseverance, purposefulness. To run the race set before us, a uniquely individual race, one that is set for you and you only. To not compare my race to another’s, to run as best I can, to run even though I cannot see what is ahead, to run until the race is done.
Life is endurance, life is marathon. It is not a sprint, it is not apathy. Pace yourself, look down at where you’re going, because the way forward is not always clear, look back at where you’ve come from, because this will keep you going, and don’t forget to look up at the present, because that is where the joy is. This is a lesson I have learnt before, but hiking seems to awake old lessons in me that I think I’ve learnt before, yet one can always do with a reminder.
