When you plan to climb a mountain, it isn’t something you just wake up one morning and start to do it. You must prepare your body by conditioning, building your endurance and preparing your body. You need to get the right clothing so you can be ready for the cold weather in the morning, be able to shed a layer and then be ready to put the original layer back on when you get out of the tree-line where you are exposed to the elements. Your clothing needs to be light and breathable; and okay if it gets wet. You also need to scout the trail. You need to know what you are in for, what kind of terrain will you encounter, will you need to train for steep inclines or is the trail rocky and uneven; you need to be ready for anything. Lastly, you also need to know how long the average person completes the trail so you can be sure to estimate the correct amount of time it will take you and plan to have enough water and other nourishment. This is super important too!

I decided to celebrate my 40th birthday by climbing Mount Albert, the highest 14’er in Colorado, second to Mount McKinley in CA in the lower 48. My husband, two of my daughters and a good family friend joined me on the trek. We studied the terrain, we planned when to start and determined what time we should be at the top, we researched the weather and then booked out trip for Labor Day weekend. We thought we had made all of the right preparations. We thought we were ready.

At the end, we didn’t plan enough even though we had been preparing for nearly 6 months. I didn’t get to the top. I ended up suffering altitude sickness which we didn’t anticipate or know how to handle at the time. It was a lesson for me…no matter how much you thing you are prepared an ready, there are inevitably unknowns. *For the record my husband stayed with me, but probably could have gotten to the top. One of my daughters we left at the tree line and my other daughter got to the top of the mountain with our friend.

What I learned is that even though I didn’t get to the top, I’m still grateful for the experience. I put myself in the game and I tried to achieve something outside my comfort zone. I set out out to accomplish a goal. Along the way, I created a memory that the five of us will never forget and talk about often. We all learned something about ourselves and each other. It is a moment, an experience we will never forget nor regret. (Actually, we are planning on doing it again for our friends 40th birthday)

This is how I feel about my faith. I imagine I am on an uphill climb to meet my Lord and Savior. Each prayer I pray is a step closer, each sin I commit is a wrong turn off the right path. Along the way I sit to reflect on the beauty in my life…and I pause to rest in God’s abundant love!