Yesterday I went hiking with the dog as we do every Saturday morning. This hike ended up being a bit more challenging than the usual. When you are old and overweight like me you try to avoid the hills. That didn’t happen yesterday.

We came to a split in the trail and I had to decide which direction to take. The left side looked like it was going to go straight up a high slope with lots of rocks. The right trail looked like it was not going to be such a steep climb. I went right. I guessed wrong.

This is another example of what we do every day of our lives. We need to choose which path we want to take. Some times we guess right, sometimes we guess wrong. As the trail got steeper and more difficult I had to make a choice. I thought I was halfway up (nope not even halfway) and debated whether I should turn around and go back.

The problem with going back was I figured it would be harder for me to get down because of the steepness and the difficulty of the trail. There were rocks and ledges making it difficult to climb up and I felt it would be worse for me to go down. At least when I was going up if I fell I would fall forward and not tumble back down. Yes I had fallen once already.

This is a very good life lesson. We make choices and sometimes they don’t turn out so good. Sometimes we need to readjust the path we are on. It might be easier to go back and look for another path. Or we can decide to keep going and see what happens. I asked Jesus for help and guidance. We went forward.

I didn’t fall, I didn’t get hurt. Yes it was tough but I did it. When I reached the top there was a great view and a feeling of accomplishment. Deep inside I knew Jesus would have my back and he wouldn’t let me fall.

It’s the same thing with getting to Heaven. There is a path we need to follow. Sometimes we have to change directions, sometimes we might have to climb back down and take a different path. God will help us. He is right with us.

Sometimes we just need to give ourselves up to God and trust Him.