Angels Landing
We started the hike eager. We had energy and stamina. I had eaten carbs the night before and we slept well, so we were ready. It was a hike we will remember forever.
We had to get a permit to be able to hike the trail. A limited number of hikers are allowed at one time. The trail is steep, the terrain is rocky, and the passageways are narrow. But despite the few scary elements, we were still excited and ready to set out.
As we set off, a park ranger had to check my license and permit. Trying not to be nervous at the thought, I caught something she said to another pair of hikers checking in right before us. She was explaining how the trail will fork off of another when she said, “If you’re not feeling it, turn around. It’s okay not to push it.”
Angels Landing is one of the most famous hikes in Zion National Park, Utah. The terrain is beautiful and unmatched. Desert views with the rocky mountainous canvases with different shades of colors due to mineral changes and erosion. Scenes of a river flowing in and out of towering mountains are picturesque.
As we got closer to what they call Angels Landing, the trail became narrow. There along the steep, sloping rocks were chains to hold onto for support. Many portions were one-way traffic. You had to stop and wait for other hikers to pass so that everyone could get along safely.
We crossed one rock and it hit Ben and I at the same time. You could see about 1,400 feet straight down to the ground, on both sides. Talk about freaky! I felt good until I looked down. Even when holding onto the chains I felt good. When I looked down, I instantly felt my heart rate increase, my hands start to sweat, and my stomach felt like a fluttering bundle of nerves.
I took my eyes off the goal. I started thinking about my nerves (though my body was activating my own safety response) more than what I was doing. I remembered what I heard that park ranger say before we started, “It’s okay not to push it.”
While Ben and I decided to err on the side of caution and not go to the very tip-top, we did accomplish quite the feat that day. We made it up the twenty-one steep switchbacks of Walters Wiggles. We were encouraged by other hikers and encouraged others in return. We hiked just shy of five miles with a gain of almost 1,300 feet in elevation. Some portions were steep. It wasn’t easy.
After we finished and boarded the shuttle back down to the parking lot, I told Ben that was the most ridiculous thing I have ever done that I’m proud of. I learned a lot about myself. That I can do hard things. That I can do them afraid.
What we set our mind on, matters. In tough circumstances or situations, if we are caught up in the negative, we will not be able to see the tiny miracles of positivity that God brings along the way. When we take our eyes off of the true prize, a life forever with Christ in eternity, we can get distracted. In these moments the enemy can sweep in and knock us off course. One stumble can be dangerous.
Choose today, to focus on truth. What is wholesome and only what can and/or will build you up. Like my husband and I on Angels Landing, it’s okay to do the big things afraid. With God on our side, we will not be shaken.
Philippians 4:6-9, The Message
Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
