:: greatness is a life well-lived ::

Lessons on the Mountain

Deep thoughts from my mountainous hike:
I’ve hiked around the Castleton-Mam Tor area numerous times in the past 3+ years and know the landscape fairly well. This hike, I decided to challenge myself a bit more and take the steep path up the side of Winnats Pass. I knew it’d be difficult and exhausting, having hiked it before, but I wanted to see how I’d do. With legs burning and lungs heaving for breath, it took me nearly a half hour to clamber up the steep path. I was relieved when I reached the top, and a bit proud of myself, but that soon disappeared when I saw the path ahead took me downward into a valley, then upward to another hilltop, and still downward again, across several sheep fields before I was even to reach the base of Mam Tor, the mountain that was my ultimate goal and purpose of hiking. I had forgotten this path was so difficult, and I was feeling exhausted and hoping I’d be able to make it as planned along the Mam Tor ridgetop. It was also a very hot day, unlike any of the other times I had hiked this place (it’s my first time being in England during the summer). I just kept trudging along, up and down the hills and valleys, thinking to myself, I didn’t want to climb these hills, they weren’t in my plan. I just want that mountain...Mam Tor. I know what I want, it’s just taking a bit longer than planned to get there. I saw a group of para-gliders easily swooping across the hills and valleys carried by the wind...I was jealous and wished for their journey. I stopped to rest a couple times, and amazingly those times were just enough to keep me going further. And I reached the top of Mam Tor, exhilarated and happy. I rested and enjoyed the top for a fantastic, wonderful hour. But I knew I needed to catch my bus back to the City, so I decided I’d continue along the ridgetop over to Loose Hill Pike, and down to the village of Hope, where my journey ended.

By the end of it, I had hiked somewhere around 6 miles, across mountains and valleys, hills and dales. My legs ached, I had some hot spots (potential blisters) on my toes and feet, I was dehydrated, had a bad sunburn and was extremely happy! The landscape along the whole path was beautiful, serene, refreshing. Clear blue skies, vibrant green covering everything, dark stone walls creating random patterns across the countryside. Even in my tiredness, I thoroughly enjoyed where I was, soaked in the beauty, loved it.

And it’s not unlike my journey in this life. How often I have ideas in my head of what I want, but then the path to get there is much more difficult and painful than I had desired. I see others who seem to have what I want, or have it a lot easier. But to just sit and watch with jealousy gets me nowhere. I must continue on with my path and not forget to look up and enjoy the amazing beauty along my own journey. And even when I get to my aimed-for goal, it’s not the end. I can’t camp out there for too long because there are other goals that drive me as well. And despite the pain, tiredness and obstacles, really, the journey is quite enjoyable, thrilling, meaningful, and worth it.

So, as these lessons open my eyes to life realities, I’m hoping to see things in new ways and learn to enjoy the journey I’m on and seek to look up from my "trudging" to see the great scenery along the way. I’m so glad for the mountains and valleys because they give such different perspectives on life! And above all, I just want to learn to be faithful wherever this journey takes me.

posted by FaithChristine @ 23:40