A few weeks ago, before the rush of the school year began, and while the majority of Bulgarians were still lying in the sand by the sea, we set out to take in one of Bulgaria's wonders, Rila's Seven Lakes. After a short ride half way up the mountain and a chair-lift ride another part of the way up, armed with water, granola bars, sandwiches, and gumption, we started our trek up to the peak to see the famous 7 lakes. The hike was much more difficult than I expected. I wasn't ready for it. Isaiah wasn't ready for it. However, we were out-numbered. Thomas and Kate, with Brian at the helm, were full of energy and drive and because of their ambition, fortitude, and never-give-up attitude, all five of us kept trekking all....day....long.
By lake #1, 45 minutes in, Isaiah could have been done. The rocky terrain and nearly straight up incline was enough to do in any 5 year old, even more so the five year who really just wanted to "go home and eat candy." I don't know in what world he thought he was going to get candy, but I guess when you're wishing for deliverance, you might as well dream big. We let him take a little break. Fact was, we all kind of needed it. The first part of the hike was intense. It wasn't the worst of it, but our hearts were pumping, legs screaming, conscience reminding us, we really should work out more.
The hike continued through a large beautiful field, and we took in all the beautiful views around us. Mountains reaching into the sky and our heart's beat returning to a normal metronomic rhythm. This was the easy part. We walked past two more lakes and sat down to have some lunch by one them. While the kids played by the water and Brian explored the sights with his Canon DSLR, I caught my breath and took in the grandeur of it all. Creation most certainly declares the glory of our great God and King!
After a rest, we set out to find the remaining 4 lakes. We weaved up more rocky terrain, and because my family can't ever seem to just follow the crowd, we ended up bouldering across a small creek, and crawling on our hands and knees to get to another resting place. Why can't we just follow the trail like all the normal people??? We came upon lakes 4 and 5 and had another rest. If Isaiah wasn't done before, he was most certainly done now. I kept reminding him, and myself, that we would be so happy when we finally made it to the top. He didn't care. I wasn't sure I did either.
Brian took the two oldest and started the final part of the hike. Isaiah and I started our trek as well, but at the pace of a very exhausted 5 year old, who still just wanted to go home, eat candy, and play video games. I made him a deal that for every 50 steps we took, we would take a break. We counted every step and sat down on nature's benches, slanted rocks, to rest. At this point in the day, many hikers were on their way back down from the peak, and cheered us on with words, like "You're almost there!" and "It's just around the corner." and "Only a little further." Some people, still on their journey up, rested near us and pointed to Isaiah saying, "If he can do it, we can do it." Well, I wasn't sure he was going to do it, but whatever they needed to make themselves feel better.
After a few 50-feet-pushes, Brian came tearing back down to meet us where we were resting and said, "You're so close, it's really right here" pointing around a bend. He picked up Isaiah, hoisted him on his back and shuffled with strength and grace up the mountain to the top. Who was going to carry me? I was happy to rest every 50 feet with Isaiah, but now I had lost the excuse of the 5 year-old's little legs and the need to rest was a pure and unadulterated reflection of my own conditioning and strength--or lack thereof.
Brian kept turning around and checking on me. Isaiah was a little less grumpy now that he had a human chair lift. I kept breathing and kept putting one foot in front of the other. And then, there it was. The view, the gorgeous panorama, with all the seven lakes in sight. It was beautiful. We sat with many other Bulgarians, some Germans and some French and took it all in. It was wonderful, and while we were so tired at the end of it all, we were all so thrilled that we did it.
There were rock towers like this all over the place at the top. I suppose people built them to signify that they had made to the peak. Isaiah, Kate and Thomas worked on one to mark our family's arrival.
The Lord often uses days like these to remind me of my spiritual walk with Him. He takes me up on these hikes to teach me so much about his glory, his majesty, his grandeur, and also about his strength in me, the journey, and my natural tendencies and bent towards sin. Most days I'm happy enjoying the view from the foot of the mountain where things are comfortable. But He takes us to high places to teach us, to grow and refine us, to give us more. More often than not the journey there is difficult. It's sometimes more dramatic in our own minds than in reality, but it's difficult all the same--there are always things to overcome, be they the physically rocky and steep terrain or be they the fight to walk solely in His strength, peace, and grace with gladness and joy of heart.
On this particular beautiful day on one of Bulgaria's many beautiful mountains, I was reminded of one of my favorite passages of scripture, Hebrews 12:1-2:
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God."
The journey is long. It is often hard. Some days, I'm so exhausted that I barely have the strength to look up and around to see the gorgeous view around me. I have to fight to be thankful for all of the beauty--my wonderful family, my comfortable home, the beautiful parks, but above all, His Word and my miraculous salvation. The fight for joy, for contentment and for a thankful heart is hard when one is gasping for breath just trying to put one foot in front of the other. And then He sends people to encourage and to remind me, "You're almost there. It's around the corner. Don't give up. You can make it." The encouragement of the saints, of His Word, of His church that say "Run with endurance. RUN! Don't give up. Don't lose heart in doing good. Run. Run. His grace is sufficient. His strength made perfect in your weakness." His Word is life! And we must live in it, preach it to ourselves, and preach it to each other every day but especially on these hard mountain climbing days.
At the top!
There were mounds upon mounds of lessons for me that day as I watched my husband and all three of my kids take on this hike in different ways. Thomas who ran 100 meters in front of all us just wishing we would hurry up. He was running with endurance devoted to making it to the top. Kate bopping along, looking around without seemingly a care in the world. She was enjoying the view, full of joy, not even seeming to notice the tough inclines. Brian who was trying to make sure we were all ok and all together, but inwardly just wished to be 100 meters ahead with Thomas taking the hike by storm. He was encouraging us, pulling us along, and sometimes literally carrying one of us. He didn't have to hang back with the weaker ones. He did it out of love. Isaiah who would have never made it if it hadn't been for many moments of rest and his daddy's shoulders. He kept going mainly because we rested with him, carried him and cheered him on, but he made it. And me, who wanted so much to see all seven lakes in view, who really wasn't physically prepared for the hike but who kept going because of what I knew, though I had never seen, lay ahead. I am so thankful I didn't give up. It was worth the journey.
So, sweet friends, keep running and while you're at it, look up and enjoy the view. The reward will be great, and you'll be so glad you did.
