Carried Along

I am a lifelong hiker.  I have not hiked anything impressive, but I have always loved hiking.  And any vacation I take, I try to hike, even if it’s just a short one. Now, I’m not proud of this, but as a teen and young adult, hiking for me was more of a sport than a hobby. I loved it, but it was also a source of pride.  I was a runner, so sometimes I was invited on hikes that were more rigorous than other girls my age.  And I needed to reach the “summit” or destination quickly so that people would recognize that I was not just a hiker but an experienced one, someone who always reached the destination. So, when I worked in Yellowstone National Park the summer I graduated from high school, this need to prove myself got worse instead of better.  Many of the people working there were from all over the United States.  Since many of them were from states at lower elevations, they had a difficult time adjusting to the elevation of many of the hikes.  Again, I found myself needing to brand myself as the experienced Montana hiker, one who could do any hike without difficulty.  

Now, over my years of hiking, I knew in the back of my mind that I was missing out.  My need to be the hiker who always reached my destination prevented me from one of the blessings of hiking, the scenery.  I was always so busy putting one foot in front of the other, I forgot to look around.  I knew it too.  I would tell myself, “You are so worried about reaching your goal that you never give yourself time to admire the view”. Now that I am 50, I finally feel like I am not competing.  I can finally hike just to hike.  I am even okay with doing part of a hike, no destination required. And I notice things. Just yesterday, I saw five different butterflies on a short hike with my family.  One of them fluttered around us for at least a quarter of a mile. I notice flowers, stop and watch a stream run, or observe a panoramic view of a nearby mountain range.  While I regret that I couldn’t appreciate these blessings when I was younger, I am grateful and relieved that God has helped me see his beauty in the journey, not just the destination. 

Since I work in a high school, I am constantly multi-tasking.  I am answering questions from students and colleagues, reading emails from admin, and trying to grade the constant barrage of essays my students are writing. It is always when I have a new set of essays to go over when it happens: a student or colleague needs a listening ear.  They are having trouble at home, health issues, or parenting challenges. And my role is small.  I rarely have any great wisdom to impart or an important role to play.  They need my ear, my concern, or my prayers.  They need to know that I care, and more importantly God does. And maybe they need to hear a verse to affirm that. But just like my younger self, I can find myself so focused on the task at hand that I don’t fully focus on the person who needs me, or worse,  I don’t notice at all.  

It is easy to forget.  Forget that God has me there for a reason, and that reason is not just to grade papers and complete tasks.  I am there to pray for and interact with the souls he brings into my circle every day. This reminds me of Micah 6:7-9, which says, “Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil?  Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” (Micah 6:7).  I can relate to this feeling.  I want to do impressive things.  Yes, for God, but also for others.  I want my students to be the best academically, and I want to be recognized for all of my hard work.  What does God want?  Micah tells us, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). I admit it.  This command seems simple and unimpressive.  In short, God wants me to do what Jesus did for much of his ministry, little things.  He wants me to notice individuals like the blind beggar or the woman at the well.  He wants me to show kindness and show his love and interest to those who don’t know him or need a reminder of his presence in a difficult time.  And I can’t do this when I am hyper-focused on accomplishing goals.  In Ephesians, Paul tells us, “ . . . we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (2:10). In the previous verse he reminded us that our salvation itself is “not a result of works so that no one may boast” (2:9).  So these “good works” are there for us as a part of his plan.  Our place?  To be aware enough to see the opportunities God places around us and to be his hands and feet to those around us. 

Jesus was often criticized for spending his time on small, seemingly unimportant tasks.  He spent time with little children (Matthew 19:14), sought out the woman at the well (John 4), ate with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:10-13), and cast demons out of outcasts (Matthew 8:28-34).  And no one on earth truly understood, even his disciples.Good thing Jesus gave small things and people importance.  The Bible even says, “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:3-7). Thank you Lord for valuing small moments and small people, like me. 

If I think about it, the most impactful moments in my walk with the Lord were found in small acts of faithful people.  People who sought me out when they didn’t have to.  People who mentored me during my college years, my single days, my battles with depression, or my days as a mother of young children. They noticed me and took an interest. Sometimes they imparted wisdom, but mostly they just took the time to care for and pray for me when I was feeling lost or insecure.  They took time away from their endless tasks and focused on me. And many of them I never thanked.  I was so wrapped up in my own difficulties, I barely noticed how much they helped until years later sometimes. And while that is sad in ways, I need to realize that God wants that from me as well, to take the time to see what divine opportunities he has for me in the midst of my temporary, earthly goals.