Press On

Little Things: Press On
Philippians 3:14

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

This past weekend I went on a prayer retreat. On Saturday afternoon there was time to get outside and enjoy the beautiful grounds of the retreat center. After much sitting, it felt good to get up and move about. Heading out on a wooded trail, I was tenetatively on a quest to climb a hill called Haystack. I say tentatively because I knew it was a tough climb and I wasn’t sure I was up to it. “No,” I decided, “I’ll just take the loop trail and play it safe. Besides,” I reasoned, “with all the rain we’ve had, the trail is probably too muddy anyway.”  However, after about 30 minutes on a gentle but steady incline, the trail forked. A sign read, “Haystack Connection.” I hesitated but took the fork to Haystack. And, yes, it was muddy. And it was steep. Really steep. I stopped often to rest and catch my breath. And then I carried on. After another 30 minutes or so I finally crested the peak. Oh my! The view from the top was breathtaking! You can see a small portion of the sweeping view overlooking the Frasier River Valley, looking into British Columbia from Washington State. My shoes were caked in mud, my quads were a little trembly, but I felt victorious and happy with my photographic trophy. Now, a little hill-climbing is not going to win the prize for which Jesus has called me heavenward, but it did serve as a reminder that big rewards often require a big effort.

Victorious Savior,  Give me endurance to press on toward Your goals
Photograph and reflection by Theresa Schaudies, (BGU, DTL, 2016),
Assistant Director, Awakenings Prayer Institute