**Hey friends! As of October 2nd, I’ve officially been here in Georgia for a whole MONTH. It’s been amazing and I’ve been learning so much, I can’t wait to share with you. Unfortunately, my laptop decided to stop working about two weeks into being here. Thankfully, I have some super sweet squadmates letting me borrow their laptops. So hopefully, this is one of many blogs coming your way! Thank you for your patience and for keeping up with my journey!**
Four days into being here in Georgia, everyone on campus woke up early, packed up the bags they just unloaded, put on their best hiking shoes, and headed up to breakfast with everything they own during this season on their backs. Pushing down nerves, we all ate up our breakfast knowing we were going to need the energy. Then we started stretching, adjusting our packs, and preparing our minds for what we were about to do:
The fitness hike.
2.2 miles. 38 minutes. An almost 50lbs pack.
We all knew this was something we were going to have to do, but none of us were necessarily looking forward to it. Especially me. I had trained for it a little bit (in my flat, paved neighborhood back in ohio), but if I thought that I was at all physically or mentally prepared, I wasn’t.
The day before, our squad leader, Madie, tried to brief us on what to expect. She showed us a map of the trail.
“You’re going to want to run the flat parts, you won’t make it in time if you don’t.”
She showed us the trail going from the road into the woods. She pointed out tree roots we’d have to avoid. Then she pointed out where we’d start to go up The Jesus Hill.
“Why’s it called the Jesus Hill?”
“Because everyone meets Jesus going up the hill,” she answered. “I know it sounds strange, but everyone comes out of the fitness hike feeling closer to God.”
We had no idea what she meant then, but twenty four hours later, we understood.
The day of, we started off with prayer and worship, because we all needed it. Then, our leaders started sending us off in our teams. My teammate, Emma, blasted some 2000’s throwbacks to get us hyped.
Then we were off.
We started off on a hill with a gravel trail. My legs and lungs were already burning. And no, this wasn’t the Jesus Hill. As soon the trail evened out, I started running. Then jogging. Then a fast-ish walk. I fell behind my more athletically inclined teammates.
I was already so discouraged. Everything hurt. It was so hot. And I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
Thats when I saw it. The Jesus Hill. and my heart dropped.
A steep but steady incline, this hill went on forever. I soon realized what Madie meant when she said we’d meet Jesus here. I began to pray. And pray. And pray.
I focused on nothing else. I let Him guide every step. I felt like if I stopped for even a second, if I felt the pain in my legs or the tightness in my chest, or if I looked ahead to see how much farther I had to go, I would trip, or fall, or give up. So me and Jesus just kept talking.
Getting to the top of that hill was the most relief I’ve ever felt. Until I realized I had to do the whole loop one more time.
So yeah, you could say I got pretty close to God that day.
Once the trail flattened out, I ran as fast as my legs let me. I couldn’t stop and look at my phone, so I had no idea if I already passed the time limit. As soon as I passed the finish line and handed a leader my time card, I threw off my pack, sat down, and tried not to throw up. And I prayed that by some miracle, I made it in time. Because I did NOT want to do that again.
During lunch afterwards, Madie handed back our time cards.
I made it in 36 minutes. Two minutes before the limit.
That wasn’t me guys. That was God.
As much as I hated that hike, I’m honestly so thankful for it. God really used that experience to set the stage for my journey here. In great timing, too. It was funny, because a couple days before the hike we had a teaching on the cost of discipleship. Basically, we learned that following God means giving some stuff up and having to do some hard things. Not that God is calling me to run up and down hills with all my belongings on my back, but he called me to the Worldrace, and the fitness hike is a part of that. And He would not call me to do something I wasn’t capable of.
The fitness hike tested my endurance physically, but it taught me something that tests my endurance spiritually. I struggled, and I will struggle, and that’s okay. The important thing is that I know He is with me. I can take this journey one step at a time, and He will guide me. And through it, I think me and God are gonna get pretty close.
So whatever Jesus Hill God’s going to ask me to hike up next, I think I’m ready for it.
Thanks for reading!! Now for a quick update for my race…
MY SQUAD IS GOING TO LOUISIANA FOR HURRICANE RELIEF!!!
As much as I love it here, I’m excited to get out and get a chance to serve and be somewhere new. Please keep my squad in your prayers as well as the people of Louisiana who have lost their homes, jobs, and ways of life because of the hurricane, and for the efforts to rebuild and restore. We will be leaving Saturday Oct. 10th and coming back the following Saturday.
Love,
Kenzie
