The Long Trek

Tip: Having people in your landscape shots really helps put the vastness of landscapes into proportion for your viewers. Do it whenever you can!

I was talking to a fellow hiker recently; he told me of a time when he came to the end of the trail he was on and several yards ahead of him he watched as two hikers dropped their trekking poles to the ground and shouted "We are finished!". In the moment, he assumed "Wow, their first hike and they are so adamant about giving up that they are just leaving their gear on the ground for someone else to take? Sad." Upon further conversation with someone down the path, he later found that the two were from Europe and had spent the last year on the Pacific Crest Trail, walking from the Mexican border to the Canadian border. The shout of "We are finished!" was not defeat, but triumph- they had just completed a world famous trail that is over 2,000 miles long!

Enduring through trials in the Christian life can be as difficult as the physical strain that one would feel if they hiked the entire Pacific Crest trail, at times; even Paul said he was "being poured out". For those who persevere, it will be more beautiful and glorious than conquering 2,000 miles of a scenic trail. Let us strive to be able to honestly say what Paul said in 2 Timothy:

"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" - 2 Timothy 4:6-7

Keep going, my friend. The Lord put you in this race and He will sustain you!