Renee Andrews's Blog - Posts Tagged "narrow-gate"

Mondays with Jesus 2017: Devotions to Begin Each Week of the Year

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

I’ve mentioned how much we love to camp, and when we camp, we also enjoy hiking, especially when those hikes allow us to see things that we would miss when traveling by car or motorcycle.

If you’ve ever traveled the mountains of North Georgia, you’ve probably heard about the abundance of hiking trails in the area. You may have even driven past the signs that noted a trail path nearby. If you did drive past, you missed out, especially if the trail ended with one of the natural waterfalls the area is known for.

On one of our camping trips near Helen, Georgia, J.R. and I decided to take the boys hiking to see as many waterfalls as possible during our stay. We would get up early in the morning, drive to the point where the trail began and then start the journey.

We had been told about one particularly difficult hike. “It’s a tough one, but the end is so worth the journey.” Unfortunately, we decided to save this particular hike until our last day, and on that day, the forecast called for rain.

Determined to see the breathtaking waterfall that everyone had told us about, we started down the path. And as we’d been told, the trail grew very narrow at times, to where we had to walk single-file along a ledge. At other times, the trees seemed to crowd us in, causing the forest floor to darken from their shade and making the hike seem more frightening than exciting. Sure enough, when we were about halfway there, and in the thickest part of the woods, it began to rain.

We found shelter in a shallow cave while waiting for the storm to pass. J.R. and I had brought backpacks with water and snacks for the boys (they were still fairly young at this time) and attempted to make the snag in our plan as enjoyable as possible. Typical boys, they thought the time in the cave made the day even more “cool.”

Finally, the rain passed, and we had a decision to make: do we turn around and give up on seeing this waterfall, or do we continue, even though the skies were still churning, another storm potentially brewing to hit us as we made the trek.

With a bit of trepidation on my part, we decided to carry on. The rain carried on too, causing us to slide on slippery rocks and tumble on tree roots or slick leaves.

Toward the end of the journey, we were all drenched. And cold. And weary. But then…the sun began to shine. And we heard the thundering rush of water up ahead. Pushing forward through the final batch of trees, we saw what all the fuss was about.

Have mercy, it was amazing. And so very well worth the journey. Water burst forward, cascading and pounding and splashing its way down the mountain, soaking us even more, but this was different. This wasn’t the dark rain trying to keep us from making the trip but this was the reward, a refreshing splash reminding us that we’d survived the terrain and had been awarded one of the most exquisite scenes I’d ever witnessed.

The path was narrow. The ground was rocky and tough. We were wet. And cold. And tired.

Isn’t that how we feel sometimes in life? Wouldn’t it be easier to turn around and take the easy route? To forget about the breathtaking glory that awaits at the end of the journey? But oh, what we would’ve missed if we’d have turned around. And didn’t it seem even sweeter…because of the difficult terrain?

This Week: Search and find the nearest waterfall. Hike to see that stunning creation of God. Thank Him for that view…and for the journey you took to see it. Then thank Him for the ultimate reward at the end of life’s journey.

Renee Andrews