Journey On: Humility and Grace.

I will be the first to admit for many that humility is something that is very hard to sustain. Humility is hard to maintain. I say this in hope that perhaps as you read further you might understand more of where we fail to humble our selves because of pride or insecurity. Again one of the greatest things is to be able to acknowledge these places deep in the pools of the heart that swirl with seemingly uncontrollable guilt, doubt and fear that somehow we aren't good enough, that for one reason or another we are failures in our own eyes.

I met some incredible people while on course in the Grand Canyon with SROM. Let me tell you the group dynamics were a HOOT and a half. We drove early to get to the trail head because the hike ahead of us would be tedious and draining to get to the Esplanade. As we drove down winding dirt roads and through some rather intense terrain beasting it in our 15 passenger van, I had old thoughts creeping in. We had to park the van 2.5 miles away from the trail head because of  bad road conditions. From there... We began to walk.

Heavy pack and an open heart, I prayed as we began to feel out our packs, our bodies, our feet as we made our way down this road. I was praying for optimism, I was praying that God would use me for whatever it looked like to serve and glorify Him as we stepped deeper into His creation. As we turned the bend our team saw the canyons edge for the first time and many minds were blown.

As we reached the trail head and saw the drop off of the trail as it steeply headed down the white wall of the Grand Canyon, things got real. This was only the second time I had ever been to the Grand Canyon. Of course I was a little nervous. Of course my body remembers the suffer fest that was May 2015 and spending 14 days in the canyon. Would my body feel the same? Would the discomfort distract me from my job and opportunity to connect with students?

Humility: 
-Not proud or arrogant, modest
-Having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience
-Low in rank, importance, status, quality, etc
-Courteously respectful
-To lower in condition
-To destroy the independence, power or will of.
-To make meek
-Reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission

Often times we humble ourselves to others. But something I am realizing more and more is that through struggle and through the feisty and pride, we often need to humble ourselves to...Ourselves.

"To destroy the independence, power or will of". How often have you stolen the blessing from someone who wishes to help you because you think it's best if you just do the task on your own and shutting out opportunity to serve and be served?

I was never created and will never grow into one that can entirely and rightfully be independent. God didn't create me in this image. He didn't create you in this image. This image doesn't even exist.

Truth: He calls us to persevere, He calls up to endure and through it we will gain His strength.
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:29
" It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure". 2 Samuel 22:33, Psalm 18:32
"Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees". Job 4:4
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.The Lord is the strength for his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one". Psalm 28:7-8
"You are my strength, I sing to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely". Psalm 59:17
"He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth". Micah 5:4

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come". Proverbs 31:25

Some of the toughest hiking terrain lives within the Grand Canyon. It was never created for us to conquer alone. Just like our own lives. Some of the toughest terrain lives within ourselves amidst the roads we have traveled. And a lot of it has yet to come. The thing about it is that when we choose to walk into the tough regardless, it strengthens us for the rocky, steep and slick terrain ahead of us.

Give your self grace would you? It will bless you and others abundantly.

After our climb back out of the canyon and a van ride back to Utah, This was a continual lesson that continues to percolate into the depths of my soul.Sore feet heal and so do hearts and scars through the pain and the seeming suffer-fests we push and God pulls through.




-Keep Adventuring.


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Journey On:

First day Hiking on the Esplanade Second Layer of the Grand Canyon After the White Wall.

Hike down the Red Wall toward the 3rd layer of the Grand Canyon.

Winding trails among layers after Thunder Falls toward Upper Tapeats. A day away from seeing the Colorado River.

Jacob orienting the team on where we are on the Esplanade before descending the Red Wall Day 2.

Shortly before our descent past Thunder Falls to Upper Tapeats 2 days into the canyon 1 day away from the CO river.

Hike towards Lower Tapeats. The Colorado River out of sight in the distance.

Family photo shortly before Descent past Thunder Falls

Day Hike in Deer Creek and The Narrows after hiking from Lower Tapeats along the Colorado river.

Day hike toward Deer Creek Falls after hiking along the CO river behind us here. (higher elevation on the flatter areas)

River Crossing to Lower Tapeats on our way toward the Colorado river

Look closely.

Deer Creek Falls

Sunrise on the Esplanade- our final morning before hiking up the White Wall.