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Life is a test. And it can be hard. You don’t have to live too long to realize that salient truth. But the longer you live there are times when your path can seem too difficult. Dreams die, conflict erupts, grief overwhelms.
What can you do? Giving up is very tempting. Quitting can seem like the best option. But there is another way.
I recently visited St Lucia. It is most famous for the Pitons, two mountainous, volcanic plugs that sit on either side of Sugar Beach. Gros Piton and Petit Piton combine to make a UNESCO World Heritage Site because they so are unique and stunning. There is nothing like them in the Caribbean.
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A challenging outdoor activity in St Lucia is to hike Gros Piton. We read online about the hike and thought that it was long but worth the effort. We arrived and were assigned a guide for our trip. The guide told us to make sure and have enough water and my wife rented a hiking stick.
The challenging beauty of St. Lucia. (Rick McDaniel)
Very early in the hike we could tell it was not as we had been led to believe. The “moderate” first half of the hike was rocky and difficult. It only got worse. Before we reached the halfway point my wife decided to stop. Another woman was coming down who had stopped as well, so they went together back to the starting point.
I kept going and then it got quite difficult. It was not a hike but a climb up boulders and rocks at an extreme angle. I came to a point where I wanted to quit. I was tired and winded. But I’m not a quitter, so I continued to the top. It was not nearly as exhilarating as I had hoped.
All I could think about was how I had to climb all the way back down. The constant pounding on my knees, the risk of falling and increasing heat were beyond challenging. When I finally finished, I was totally exhausted. I needed ice, massage and lots of stretching just to recover and not ruin the rest of our trip.
It was one of the hardest physical challenges I’ve experienced. Five hours of climbing, over 2,600 feet. It was equal to 160 floors — the tallest building in the world Burj Khalifa in Dubai is 163 floors.
If there is one thing you can count on in life, it’s that the path will not always be easy. And sometimes God places you in situations seemingly too hard for you, beyond your ability to bear. It appears an utterly impossible challenge.
You are perplexed, overwhelmed, even crushed by your circumstances. You may be stretched beyond your abilities and pushed to the point of despair. You want to quit on the job, walk away from the marriage, give up on the plan.
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You may just choose to complain. It’s too hard, it’s not fair. But if you’re focused on what’s wrong with your life, you won’t see what’s good. And you won’t push through. You’ll end up settling for less than God’s best for your life.
Adversity either breaks or refines you. Crushes or strengthens you. Causes you to run or causes you to dig in. The test is guaranteed. Whether you pass is up to you.
What can you do? Giving up is very tempting. Quitting can seem like the best option. But there is another way.
As has been said, “Don’t confuse your path with your destination. Just because it’s stormy now doesn’t mean you aren’t headed for sunshine.” Pursue purpose. Pursue progress. Pursue your path.
The wisest choice is to commit your path to God. It will be worth it. When you follow the path, however hard or difficult, you will arrive at the place God meant for you to be.
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Your better days, your blessed days, your brightest days are all ahead of you.
The best is yet to come!
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