Mountain Musings: Blazing the Trail

 ¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus the pioneer 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. Hebrews 12:1-2 Revised Standard Version

               We live on a dirt road in a home surrounded by forest. While I’m not sure exactly where it begins, our home is quite close to the Lincoln National Forest. A short hike down an abandoned forest road brings you into the national forest. While we are not “off the grid,” I enjoy living surrounded by nature. This morning I watched a small herd of elk meander across our yard, foraging in the snow, as they went. Elk are impressive large creatures. While I cannot be sure, they seemed to look through the window at me sipping my coffee. On my hikes I see all manner of tracks in the snow. I cherish the quiet and stillness of the forest blanketed in snow and often hike in the mountains around our home. I particularly enjoy pausing in a clearing and waiting in silence as my pulse and breathing return to normal. Hiking in snow requires great exertion; especially if you’re the first to break a trail.

               Hiking in freshly fallen snow is hard work. When the snow is deep breaking the trail raises my heart rate quickly. The snow drags at my feet, forcing me to high step. Even then I must push through the heaps of fluffy white. It looks so soft and gentle; however, all that frozen water weighs a lot and does not give way easily. In the thin air, above eight-thousand feet, I find myself panting very quickly. Additionally, the places I hike go up and down repeatedly and my thighs soon ache with the build up of metabolites produced by the heavy exertion. If possible, I like to hike behind someone who blazed the trail before me. While still difficult, following in their steps is much easier than creating the path. It is the same in our spiritual life.

               Any honest person will tell you about the spiritual challenges of the Christian walk…hike. Many things beset us. Temptations and challenges come our way. Problems, sent by satan, pop up frequently. Peter speaks of satan as being like a devouring lion, looking for someone unawares to waylay, I Peter 5:8. Then there is the simple existential challenge of human existence. We live in a broken and fallen world which does not operate as designed. Often, we must trudge through deep snowdrifts of trouble and turmoil, hearts pounding and lungs heaving; but, we do not have to break the trail.

               Jesus broke the trail before us. The writer of Hebrews describes Jesus as the “pioneer and perfector.” He plowed through the deep drifts of temptation and persecution before us. We can walk in His steps. Following someone through the deep snows of life makes things much easier. This is why we need to know and understand how Jesus dealt with the challenges of this existence. Stepping where He stepped, walking as He walked makes the journey much simpler. He battled satan, armed with the same tools available to us. We need not blaze a new path. We should learn, know, and understand how He lived His life and pattern ours similarly. That way we can traverse the turmoil more successfully. Of course, there will be times when our lungs still heave and our pulse still races; but, we will find the trek much more manageable, following the trail He blazed.