This phrase ring through my ears louder in the past week of my life than ever before. I never knew a three word sentence could reach to the depths of my heart and most inner being and bring forth something inside of me I never knew existed . One More Step. With each keystroke and utterance of this I feel more empowered to be the man of God my papa has called me to be. This is where it all began.
We just pulled into a gravel parking lot off the side of a winding Georgia state road . This would be our entrance to the 16 miles of the Appalachian trail we planned to hike. We take off up the first hill leaving Unicoi Gap and the comfort of the bus behind. I find myself breathing hard and my legs were tightening up when I pause to look behind and notice that we were only half way up the first hill. At that moment I realize I was not sure what I just got into.
The hills kept coming that day. They were long and steep (or at least to me) but I was going to be a MAN and push through it. We walked and hiked and walk and hiked some more. At one point I was thinking the Israelites did not walk this much in the forty years they wandered around the wilderness. The weight of my “necessities” in my pack begin to bare down on my hips to where I could feel every ounce of the load. A sip of water every now and then to alleviate the discomfort was temporary and only made me beg for more. Hours later we get to a clearing where we are informed this is where we will have lunch. I look around and find the most massive oak tree to rest my fatigued and cramping body. Someone pulls out a log of salami,a bag of pita bread, and a block of cheese and says lunch is served. I slowly tear pieces of bread to match the bits of salami and cheese I bite. We sit around earning more about each other while waiting the moment that we must place the deadweight on our backs and take off again. We leave with the distant rolling of thunder that was not a welcomed sound but one that I was prepared for. Moments after taking off, we stop to place our rain cover on as I dread the thought hiking in the rain.
Sure enough, the rain did come. With each drop that landed, it felt like someone was adding a brick to the weight I was carrying. Dave, a mentor and seasoned hiker, was right behind me encouraging me to push through it because it was just a little further and we would be at the shelter for the night. I was tired and weak. The falling water had drained what little I had left in me. I pushed myself more and still felt like I was failing my brothers. Still falling behind I looked up and noticed that we had caught up with group that left out ahead of us. Instead of waiting we passed them without a moment of rest. I was at the point of just saying Im done. I was ready to give up and throw in the towel. I was DONE. As Dave encouraged, I picked what was left of my jaded body and fought the hill even harder.
Then out of nowhere we were on top of a mountain. There was not one thing taller than me other that my 6’3” squad mate. I later discovered it is the second highest point of the AT in Georgia. I felt like a champ. I was on top of the world.
It was all downhill from there. My group was the first to make it to the shelter and where we would be camping for the night. As we waited for the iodine to purify our water, we set up camp between small downpours of rain. We cooked our dinner over the fire and debriefed with each other about the day.
God taught me something that day and He spoke right to me. I told my team during debrief that I was at the point of giving up when we only had twenty more steps to the top. I asked myself what if I had given up. Would I have gotten to experience the awesomeness of seeing the beautiful views of the top.
I know if I had given up I would not gotten to see the beauty of God’s glory and the moment He had planned for me. It wrecked me. It made me think was there a time in my life where I had given up too quickly? Did I miss out on something that was just around the corner because I thought I just could not make it. As we wrapped up our debrief and headed to our tents for the night the thought still flooded my mind as I quickly fell into a slumber.
We were up the next morning before the sun. My body was sore but I was rested and ready for the day. We venture on that morning with most of the tail being downhill which was nice to warm up to. We stop for the same pita, cheese, and salami lunch and quickly headed out again.
Knowing that I was a slower hiker, I said I would lead after lunch and set the pace. Saying goodbye to the casual hiking from the morning the hills became more and more intimidating. Each corner we turned thinking it would level out, surprised us as we found the trail rising evermore before us.
As I could see what was before me, the doubt in myself arose with the trail. I found myself slowing the pace and wanting to stop. Then, a guy from my squad spoke with such authority the phrase “One More Step”.
Every time I wanted to stop and take a break, I would hear “one more step”. Every moment I thought I could not make it, it rang through my ears, “One More Step”. I was leading a team and with everything in me, I wanted to stop but all I had to do was take one more step.
I believed I pushed myself harder that day than I have ever had in my life. But I was only able to do it one step at a time. When the group stopped for a rest, I pushed on with one more step ringing through my thoughts. One More Step was imbedded into my mind. I pressed on and fought the remainder of the trail all the way to the end. With humility I will say, I was the second racer back and the first from my squad.
I pushed myself. I fought for what I wanted with the same power that raised Christ from the dead. It took me changing my thoughts from I can not make it any further to I just have to make it one more step because what God has for me may just be around the next corner. Romans 12:2 (…Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.) principal in real life.
It makes me ask the question, Am I willing to press into the power that God has and just take one more step because the fullness of his grace, mercy, and calling on my life might be just a few steps away or am I going to give up a few steps shy because I feel like I can not make it any more. As this is something I will carry with my, I hope you will be encouraged to keep making one step at a time because what you may be waiting for may just be….
ONE MORE STEP away.
This was just a little of what God did in me over the training camp week and this was just the Man Hike. I will be doing some more blogs about training camp soon. So stay tuned.
I am so thankful to say that some people have partnered with me to fund my trip. I still need 126 people to come along side me and support me with a $100 gift or any amount. Please pray and let God lead you as you give. Also share my story to people I may not know and that may encourage them to just take ONE MORE STEP!
