Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.

John Muir, environmental philosopher and preservationist

Something about me: I’m an avid cyclist. Well, indoor cyclist anyway. Recently on one of my mountain bike rides, the iFit trainer shared the quote above by John Muir and it’s just stuck with me.

You see, there was a time that I would have had a very different quote in relation to mountains. It went like this:

I hate hill climbs!

Not only did I hate them, I actively avoided them on cycling series. I hated the intense burn in my legs, the way my lungs never seemed to get enough air, the unsteady feeling of the bike beneath me as my knees and hips became shaky. I skipped them. Put them off for another day. Approached them with absolute dread when I did finally schedule one.

But, day after day, even on days I didn’t feel like it, I chose to show up, to trust the process and now I can say that I have found the joy in hill climbing, in slowing down, and focusing on strength and form.

Reflecting on this, it occurs to me that cycling is a lot like life.

You see, in life, most of us just want to spin – smooth roads, a little burn in the muscles, breathing easy enough to hold a conversation. We could spin all day and not tire much. But, if all of life was just spinning, we wouldn’t know what to do when higher levels of resistance hit us. That’s why God includes climbing as part of life.

You see, climbing requires us to slow down, to take stock of the positioning of each part of our lives, to stand up and mentally tackle the heavy push and pull necessary to rise to the challenge.

It’s certainly easier to spin along, but oh what views we are given when we climb!

I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize.

Philippians 3:12

Sweet friends, what hill is God showing you that you’ve been avoiding? What wonderful prize does He have in store for you if you choose to embrace the climb?

Yes, parts of the journey will be tough. Yes, the climb will push every fiber of your being to the limits.

But oh dear heart! Beyond our limits is where God does His most amazing work! Beyond our limits is where we cease to be ordinary because God does a work in us and through us that is extraordinary!

The first step toward the top is just showing up every day, just saying, “Here I am, God.” Trust the process friend. Trust the Trainer. God will make you stronger than you ever thought possible – spiritually, mentally, emotionally. Will you climb with Him today?