Several years ago, my husband and I hiked in the desert region around Las Vegas. The path proved to be treacherous, strewn with ankle twisting rocks. The minute we took our eyes off the path right in front of us, we would stumble. To keep moving, we had to focus straight down on our next step, the step after that, and the following step. Or risk falling and injury. It was trying, frustrating, and leaned toward exhausting. The thought struck me, “this is how it feels when we journey through a hard place in life. Every step must be calculated and negotiated to avoid stepping in the wrong place.” That hike highlighted two things to execute when trudging along a difficult path in life: take time to rest, and while resting, look up.
The only way we could relax on that hike was to stop moving. To just stand still and rest for a time. To quiet our heart rate, alleviate the tension in our shoulders and legs, and exhale. We needed to cease our striving.
In the journey of our hard, we need periods of time, whether stolen moments or days set apart, to stop wrestling with our situation. A time to stop negotiating the next step. Lay it all down. Don’t do or decide anything. Or try to figure anything out. To just “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
Mentally and emotionally you will be tempted to continue to reel. Let your heart cry to God to help you leave things at rest. To stop evaluating and analyzing and envisioning and negotiating. To say “I know I need to look at that; but not right now.” Allow yourself the time to take your eyes off of the rocks on the path and give your swirling thoughts, shattered heart, and fragile emotions a rest. Walk through each day as it unfolds. Look for things to do and focus on besides your situation. And during that time of rest, pray often to God for mercy and healing.
Secondly, while you are at rest, look up. See where you are on your journey. Look back at how far you’ve already come. On this particular hike we felt like we weren’t making much progress. But when we stopped and looked back, we were stunned at how far we’d actually travelled.
We also needed to look ahead at the glory in front of us we would have missed if we hadn’t paused in our journey. His glory radiates all around us every day if we take our eyes off our circumstances and look up to see, revel in, and let his glorious presence bring us peace and hope.
On this difficult journey through your hard, allow yourself to take time to get your eyes off the rocks at your feet, to see the bigger picture, how far you’ve come, and the beauty beyond.
Ultimately, whether looking down to maneuver through the rocky terrain or looking up, our inner focus will be on the One who is our help, the sleepless one who will not let your foot slip. He keeps you from all harm and watches over your life both now and forever. (Psalm 121)
After a time, negotiating the rocks must continue as you journey forward. But when you grow weary, stop again. Stop often. Rest and look up. Be assured that He has walked with you every step to this point and will continue this journey with you, directing every future step. After each intentional rest, you’ll move forward with more strength, peace, and assurance. Keep moving forward, trusting Him to carve out the direction the path is taking, resting in the knowledge He will bring peace and resolution, and eventually, healing and restoration. In His time, in His way.
