During our first off day, we had the opportunity to go rock climbing with our hosts!
So, I’ve never done the “real” rock climbing thing in the states… I’ve done some bouldering at a gym in Bellevue and I’ve done the REI rock wall in Seattle that was about 30 feet high… Rock climbing in the “wild” was a new experience for me!
During out preparation and training, I felt confident, ready to face the challenge! However, as I stood at the base of the cliff, it was a differnt story… Suddenly, the rock wall seemed like a daunting task and I began to wonder if I could really do it! But as my teammates cheered me on, I decided to go for it!
Through this experience, I learned some life lessons…
Sometimes you have to take a risk in life in order to move forward and see the next step. Often on this trek, it was only after I took the risk to step on one ledge that I discovered what my next step would be, but if I hadn’t of taken that step, it would still have been a mystery to me.
The closer I got to the top, the more I realized that in order to see the beautiful view you have to leave the safe place. If I had allowed fear to cripple me at the base of the cliff, I would have missed the view from the top!
Trust plays a huge role in your success! You have to trust the rope – that it is strong enough to hold you – and you have to trust those who belay for you. It is a team effort to get to the top!
Lastly, I found that the closer I leaned in to the rock wall, the easier it was to maneuver and feel secure. The same is true with God… He is our Rock and the closer we are with Him the easier it is to overcome life’s challenges!
