"Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what
son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and
everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and
not true sons."(Hebrews 12:7-8, NIV)
One thing I have learned
through my trek in this life is that adversity is an opportunity for
growth. It's true that most of us dislike trials, but imagine a life
that went smoothly, without any problems. We would be bland, without any
real character. It's during adversity that we grow. The problem is that
way too many look at these as legions from hell, not realizing that they
are truly blessings from above.
The day before it had rained all
night, so much so that we ended up with our own swimming pool at the
entrance to our campsite. It did serve to make our entrance a bit more
original than others!
The same was true while hiking around Peck
Lake, at Algonquin Provincial Park. We soon discovered that due to the
heavy rain from the previous day, our trek was filled with defying
obstacles.
Our first challenge was to cross a rain-made waterfall
that covered our way for at least ten meters. Truly, this first
challenge nearly immobilized me. "There is no way I can cross that
waterfall!" I affirmed.
"I will help you through," my son assured
me.
I guess I must have been hypnotized, for all I could do was
repeat myself: "There is no way in can cross that waterfall!"
"We
can do it," insisted my son. "It's just a temporary trial, and we can
conquer it together!"
His words hit me like a ton of bricks. What
was the worst that could happen if my foot slipped on the
waterfall-soaked rocks? I would only wet my foot and slip. No big deal!
I followed my son's advice, and with his help, I reached the other
side without mishap. Ouf! Thank you Lord!
The trials were far
from over though!
On our trek we noticed many of the ones who had
trekked here before us that day had slipped or had been stuck in some
yucky stuff. Their tracks helped us figure out how to avoid any of that.
Their footprints spoke to us loud and clear.
Sometimes the roads
were truly impassable. Mud and more mud, with water sprouting
everywhere. How could this be possible? But by then I had some
experience, and I relished these impassable passages. As a result of
that muddy trail, we became rock specialists, stepping from one rock to
another, and if there were no rocks, we resorted to other innovative
means, such as clinging to a tree, swinging like Tarzan, or walking like
a duck with one foot on each side of the trail. These adversities drew
us closer to one another and motivated us even more to finish our trek.
Truly, when I first read the description of this trek, I was
uninterested. It seemed quite boring to walk around a lake. It would be
too easy! However, as it had rained quite hard, the easy trail became
quite a challenge, thoroughly motivating both my son and I.
There
is no growth without adversity. Without trials, life is way too boring
and easy. During such an easy life, there is no opportunity to trust our
Heavenly Dad. It is through challenges that we learn. We relish these
when we look at them for what they truly are: opportunities for growth!
At times Dad has to reach out to us, like my son did, showing us the
way out, and hugging us when we feel completely discouraged. He will see
us through this! We are His sons and daughters, after all, and He is
madly in love with us.
Other times, our Dad helps us through the
example of other people, either good or bad. No matter what, God will
see us through. We have nothing to fear. This is how we can be truly
alive: by trusting our Heavenly Dad in hard times. After all, adversity
is just an opportunity to grow closer to our Dad more than ever.
By the way, would you like to come to a pool party in front of our camp
site? It may be quite muddy, but what a feast we will have!
Rob
Chaffart
Written on August 20, 2014
Challenges is What we Strive On. Alive Series, Part 16
Today's Bible Verse:
"If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn't much to you in the
first place. (Proverbs 24:10, The Message)
Challenges is What we Strive On. Alive Series, Part 16
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