Lessons from Arches

Last week I went camping down near Moab and Arches National Park with some youth from my church. This was my first time ever visiting that part of the state, and what an adventure!

I learned a lot about myself and what I can do, even when stretched beyond what I think are my abilities. One of the days there we went on a fairly rigorous hike. We started at nine in the morning and didn't return to our cars until 5:30 that evening. We hiked in hot sun and occasional shade. We hiked through sand washes, over slick rock and up a steep incline. We rapelled down a canyon, including a thirty-foot free fall that was exhilarating.

I was never at the front of the pack. Typically I stayed in the middle or near the rear. I wasn't as fast as our trail-setters, but I tried to maintain my own steady pace. Most important, I didn't quit. Not one of us did. Our entire group, despite running out of water near the end and hiking in high summer temperatures, all made it to the end.

And that to me is the lesson I hope never to forget.

In life we may not feel like the trailblazers with all their pep and talent. We might even be coming along at the rear, but we're coming. There are times of blistering sun and challenge, but there are also moments or seasons of cool shade and rest. No matter our pace, no matter our circumstances, the important thing is to keep pressing onward. Don't quit, no matter how tough things may get. It's not how fast or well we come along; it's that we keep going, one footstep at a time.

Have you ever been to Arches National Park? Do you like camping? What life lessons did you learn this week?