The mountain looms before me.  It’s cold.  It’s dark.  The rocky terrain is tough on my body and on my mind.  And no matter how many times I have commanded it to, this mountain has refused to move.

I stare at it.  It stares back.  It’s  an unfair contest. The mountain doesn’t flinch.  I blink back tears, but I keep trudging ahead.  I feel uniquely unqualified to charge up this hill. I don’ t feel like I have had adequate training.  I do not think I have the proper tools, and yet, a still small voice tells me to keep going.

As I climb, I can feel the callouses form on my hands and feet.  My muscles hurt, but I notice that I am getting stronger.  When I reach the base camp, I realize I’m not on the journey alone.  Sure, we all started at different times, and none of us are taking the exact same path, but it does make me feel a little better to know that there is help nearby if I should need it.  (I will definitely need it.)

All of us have mountains to climb.  Some are larger and scarier than others, but none of us makes it through life without a few uphill battles.  The good news is that we survived that last mountain.  We got cuts and bruises along the way.    We may have paused a few times to cry, to catch our breath, or to calibrate our compasses.  But we have to keep going.  The one who created the mountain and who placed it in our path says so.

My prayer today is that while you’re facing whatever mountain you have encountered, that you take time to wonder at the majesty that is all around you, and that you honor the one who created both you and the mountain.

Lovingly and Unapologetically,

Mama Radford