Keep On Hiking

View of Islesboro (left), Penobscot Bay, and Camden, ME

Now that classes and final exams are over, I had a little bit of free time yesterday (RAs stay on campus until graduation on Saturday).  So, along with my supervisor and two fellow RAs, I took off for the day to Camden Hills State Park in Camden, Maine – about a 2 hour drive from campus.  We enjoyed a great hike, nice conversation, and of course, good food.

While hiking in the woods along the Ocean View Trail, I was in awe of the beauty around me – there were thousands and thousands of trees.  The way up was certainly a reminder from God that I hadn’t gone hiking in a while!  Walking on uneven ground, leaping from one rock to another, while going uphill left me winded rather quickly.  At times, I wanted to just stop and rest, but something inside of me kept on telling me to keep pushing myself.  The summit was near.  I kept on going, and once I reached the top, the view was spectacular (as captured in the photo I took at the top of this blog).  I felt at peace and accomplished.

Why do I mention this?  I think there’s a lesson here that relates to all of our lives in so many ways.  There are so many times where we slip on the rocks, get tired of walking through life and being in pain.  However, we have to keep our eyes on the prize (Heaven…eternal happiness and peace with God) and persevere.  We all have those days where things don’t seem to go right, but we have a prize waiting for us at the end of the hike—God’s unconditional love, presence, and comfort.

My favorite verse in the Bible comes from 2 Timothy 4:7-8, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”  In order to compete in the game of life and finish the race to Heaven, we have to keep the faith.  In that game, that race, we may scrape our knees, trip on the rocks, or fall into a puddle of mud, but God will always be there to help us up and “clean” us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  At the summit, it’ll all be worth it…I promise.

Chris Hughes