Devils Hall

I went on kind of mini camping trip a while back ago. Weekends like these never quite turn out as planned, and for that I'm  thankful because then how would I end up with any interesting stories? Or lessons learned for that matter... This particular trip was to Guadalupe peak. We went up on a Sunday night and stayed at the campground. Well, we partially stayed at the campground... you see, we just take sleeping bags and sleep under the stars. However, on this particular night shortly after going to sleep under a clear starry sky, the stars decided to switch out for rain clouds and basically to make a long story short, the three of us slept (rather uncomfortably) in my car.

The real story is in the next days hike. Our attempt was to complete the Guadalupe peak trail. I had done it two other times and I was ready to roll! We started our day off with a tasty breakfast of Pb&j sandwiches and granola bars, and of course prayer... (where I very confidently asked God to teach us something through this adventure) He most definitely pulled through, and I obviously have to learn some lessons the hard way.

Just a heads up...  (we didn't make it to the top) a lot of little issues happened including just pain old exhaustion from a terrible nights sleep, one of the girls in our group kept nearly getting sick (poor thing...  think it was the altitude) and then the real problem...  somewhere along the way, we ended up on the wrong trail. After already doing this hike twice before, I feel pretty embarrassed I didn't figure it out much sooner, I think it was Because God had a lesson in mind for me.

You see, I hesitated at the point where we got on the wrong path. I knew it was possible it went the other way, but I convinced myself that the way we were going was just fine, (mostly because it simply looked easier and looked like a direction that would take us where we needed to go) Well, I was half right... it was easier (at least for the time being)  because it mostly went downhill. You can only imagine my disappointment when we reached a sign indicating we were going the wrong way. We had to turn around and go UPHILL over all the distance we had just walked. (which was a pretty lengthy distance) It wasted a lot of time, and probably resulted in the majority of our sunburns.

We still had a good time. We talked and laughed... but we never made it to our goal. I found it the most frustrating because I knew it was a goal that was achievable... but I traded it in for something (that for a moment) appeared to be easier. One of the girls had also never been to the peak before... and so I was frustrated at all the things she wasn't going to get to see because of my poor choice.

I looked at it in reflection to my own life. I wondered how often I miss out on the attainable promises I know God has given me because I've chosen to take the path that seemed "easier". I wonder how many pains I've endured so much worse than a sunburn, or sore muscles because of those same choices. Worst of all... I wondered how many people I had dragged along with me down some of those paths to miss those same promises... and endure some of those same pains because they trusted me to lead them where they should go. Talk about a painful lesson to learn...

This lesson was rubbed in all the more by the fact that the sign that indicated we were going the wrong way... also indicated that the location of the path we were going on would lead us to a place called "Devil's Hall" Yeah... I'm pretty sure God has a sense of humor. The next time I make that hike, I can almost guarantee I won't make that same mistake. The more important question is whether or not I can be as positive about that guarantee in every step I take in life.

Where am I going to go?

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feetAnd a light to my path

Forever His,
-Sara