I read a brief story about a woman, Beverly Johnson, who was the first woman to reach the peak of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, California. It took her 10 days, with very little sleep, struggling, uncertainty ahead, alone, except for one thing......she knew God was by her side. When asked how she did it, she said, "It was like eating an elephant; I did it one bite at a time." She didn't focus on the what if or what will I do or what will happen when.......she focused on each step in her climb until she reached her goal.
We all have a certain climb in our life. Even Chrissy struggled in her climb, but what I admired most was watching her continue on no matter what she had to deal with in this cancer climb. She cried, she screamed, she questioned......she did all that, but she never stopped. She lived her life with clarity and didn't live a lie as so many often do. All of us have skeletons in the closet and sometimes some of us spend a lifetime trying to conquer them. Some have chosen to cover them up or avoid them, thinking it will go away because it's too painful. Perhaps for some, those skeletons keep us from attaining certain goals in our life. I've known some who totally avoid them, and they deal with the negativities that manifest into their own personal lives. It takes hold of them like a prisoner. Some are living a lie, pretending, because facing their past choices or living the present choices are too painful to escape. I liked this story of Beverly who faced an enormous task, but she did it one step at a time knowing ultimately that she could only do it with His help. It's easy to forget God in the pain and turmoil because sometimes life is so intense. How can God be by our side when I feel so bad or have to deal with these problems? I've even thought this myself, but then I prefer to know that He is by my side rather than not. For me, it makes life more bearable than if I thought I was doing it alone. That elephant could be anything from an alcohol or drug addiction, a spiritual void, a personal relationship, your family, a test, a task, a character flaw, your job, a death, your focus. Whatever that elephant is, I think what's important is that we face it one step at a time. That doesn't mean we can't cry, grieve or feel the emotions during our climb. As long as we don't avoid it or let it consume our lives to the point where the rest of our life is in disarray. The point is to deal with the elephant rather than try to stuff it away.....you can't.....it will burst at some point. I've known some who have had all the best in life materially.......the perfect family, the job, the house, the money, the trips, the best schools, the religion halo only to have their life shatter as drugs, alcohol, the infidelity, the lie or anger consume their lives. We think as humans we aren't allowed to falter, but through my own life experiences I have seen more of what others do not. Beyond the suffering that is; I have seen beauty, purpose and flashes of God that others never see . Perhaps through death, no matter how painful, the ultimate blessing is to understand more, live better, be more open about what I see and experience through life's painful moments. From the outside, it might seem that those who are grieving are missing out, and sometimes that may be the case, but mostly those who are grieving are learning, understanding, changing, seeing more than most know or can even comprehend. I've known some who have lost a child through death, and in my book, there are no rules, their journey is their own and should be given room to do so, without question. In all loss, it is that person's journey alone, and each has their own way. I believe we are all children of God, living here to learn, grow, understand and return.........return to where we began. We never die in spirit, that energy is always there, but some of us are living in death even as our bodies still breathe. That my friends is the ultimate death, and a complete tragedy. It is our responsibility to recognize if it is happening in ourselves, for our own spritiual growth. One bite at a time; we need to see it, take hold of it, stop the lie if need be, and live life one step at a time knowing that God is by our side.
"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man"
-Psalm 118:8
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