I got up at 6am for the team’s hike to church in San Miguel, Costa Rica. I put on some zebra-striped rain boots and off we went. It was beautiful, with towering trees above and the sounds of jungle life around us. And did I mention we were hiking up a mountain?
Well, the first 10 minutes, I was thinking this walk was easy. And then we started going uphill. There was slipping and sliding in the mud, and I quickly realized that my little case of bronchitis might be a limiting factor to the climb. My lungs seemed to be suddenly full of flem, and the rumbling through my bronchii with each breath made breathing feel sore after a while. I kept coughing up the gunk, which gave relief for short periods of time. Oh man, if only I could breathe!
Green and black poison dart frog and large purple grasshopper
Head of snake killed by our guide Lots of big spiders along the way
with his machete
About 45 minutes up, we took a short rest break. Then we continued on… I think we probably took breaks every 15 minutes or so after that. We picked our way through lots of sludge, over fallen trees, as we hiked higher. There were a couple times when our guide had to stop and kill a poisonous snake. And I took lots of pictures of frogs and spiders and beetles. I so enjoyed the beauty and the sounds and the bugs and the moments when you could see out over the area. Breathtaking!
Finally after 3 hours of this, we arrived at the church. The service usually starts at 9am, but our slow progress got us there at 10. The people had waited to start till we arrived.
And of course, this made me think of how God sometime calls us to take a journey with Him. At times, the beginning makes us think it will be fairly easy. But as we go deeper into it, we realize that it won’t be as easy as we thought. How many times have I felt like my soul can’t breathe? I try to release it to the Lord, which gives relief for a little while, but eventually that gunk, that heartache, that rumbling ache in my chest from the past, fills me up again. Maybe this journey with God would be a little easier if my soul didn’t feel sick. Can I trust that He’s healing me?
Still upward, higher, through the daily grime, past the plans that fell through, He calls us. The path twists and turns, and occasionally a friend reaches out a hand to help through the most difficult spots. As we follow our Lord closely, He protects us from the harm around us. He sees the hidden snakes we so easily overlook.
But we can’t forget to enjoy His beauty around us. It’s breathtaking! There can be beauty and blessings and joy all along the way. It’s worth the journey. He is worth the journey.
