I have to admit I've been a bit quiet lately. With all the things going on around me, I haven't really been able to find time or motivation to write up a post despite the many things I would like to share.
Well anyways, I've managed to gather the motivation now so here goes.
Recently, I went through one of the most both mentally & physically challenging moments I've had in a while. If I may say so, it was beyond challenging.
I basically just climbed a mountain called Te Aroha.
It really doesn't sound like much at all, which is exactly what I thought, until I started the walk up.
Within the first five minutes of the walk, my mind was already telling me it was too much effort - to give up. My mind was trying to tell me that my body was too tired to carry on. But luckily I had a companion & it would have just looked pathetic to give up not even a tenth of the way up.
Well this was the first lookout, around a quarter of the way up and I had already had to take three stops. I took a good long break here as well
As we set off again, within five minutes, I was already fighting the temptation of another break. My legs were already aching and every step was a struggle.
It didn't get any easier, in fact, it got alot harder.
The steepness of the walk increased with steps half my height. Many times I ended up getting on all fours to spare my legs some rest.
As I think back to it now, even though my legs were extremely sore, constantly wanting to give way to the weight of my body, the challenge was hardly physical compared to the mental side of things.
Most of the challenge was in my mind - finding the right motivation to push myself on, to stop myself from making a stop. Thinking of the nice things ahead really helped, the nice view on top & the spa afterwards. But on the other hand, focusing on the walk, the huge steps ahead, the long distance away from the top really made me want to give up & stop fighting.
I think in the same way, we can really apply this into our lives.
Sometimes life may seem hard. Too much work, pain or sorrow surrounds us. We know we have to push on but it just seems too hard. Turning our view from the bad things & onto the good things to come, having hope in something is the only thing that can truly push us on.
So after persevering for two hours I surprisingly managed to make it to the top. That last step took me a good few seconds to make. But as soon as I got there, I literally collapsed onto the grass.
The view was completely cloudly when we first got to the top, no visibility around us at all. A little bit disappointing. And brrr it was super cold, so cold that there were chunks of ice on the ground!
But we decided to wait a little while & wow.. it was amazing to see the clouds slowly part.
I have quite a thing for clouds.. have actually considered studying them as a job at some point.
The view was well worth it.
Seeing the huge mountain ranges around us, unending the farm plains, the vast sky was truly something to marvel at. And to think that there is One so much greater, who crafted all of this is just mind-blowing.
The journey back was refreshing. I was glad it didn't push me so hard. But in the bushes it did get quite dark & at times it was really scary climbing/rushing down in slippery mud with rocks & roots all around us. Very risky but fun.
Managed to catch the sun descending down at the lookout.
Colours are just beautiful.
So to finish off the hike went to a soda hot springs at the foot of the mountain.
Apparently Te Aroha is known for the only soda hot springs in the whole of Australasia (the rest are sulfur springs).
The water was really smooth, kind of like a slightly more 'jelly' version of normal water.
But wow, this was perfect in the cool weather, especially after the climb.
I cannot thank God enough for such a hard, but accomplishing & rewarding day.
There's one more thing I would like to share in this post while I'm at it.
I've been reminded recently of one thing that revolutionizes my daily struggles with sin & my flesh. It is basically the idea of 'grace' that we all have been saved by, something I have forgotten about in my spiritual battles.
Whenever I sin, I desire & dread for a punishment. I have accustomed to the thought that I must be punished for every bad thing I do on the spot. In the past, in the absence of punishment from God I have even withdrawn to 'punishing' myself.
I finally realized that after all these years that this matter of thought is all but a distraction, a deception from Satan. He had distracted me in my own sin, with the desire to seek punishment, to maybe even seek a 'ritual' for confession, instead of accepting the grace God has already poured out on me.
Jesus willing died for us so that we can be free from our sin.
It is purely by what He's done, that we can be free from our sin, that we can live. No matter how hard we try, no matter what we do, we cannot differ or make things any better.
We have already been saved.
It makes things so much simpler, puts things into a greater perspective.
We should always set our eyes on God's grace first. On what He has already done for us, on His redemption, His love, the chance He's given us.
Once we accept this, we are in a long term relationship with Him.
This relationship may have ups and downs, conflict, us trying to break away from God. But at the end of the day, God still desires this relationship with us, He's still holding on, trying to 'contact us' once we've strayed - He has never left.
Once we've realized we have sinned, that we have once again fallen short of His glory, the only thing necessary is to accept God's calls for us to come back to Him, to live with Him once again. Then surely, everything will fall in to place because of all He has done~
Until next time,
Godbless~
Never Once - Matt Redman
We Fall Apart - We As Human
Not Gonna Die - Skillet
Awesome post (: great pictures!
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