MAGIC IN THE CLIMB

“And I thought it was magical. I saw the people walking around campus, and the yellow-colored leaves under the tree, and I thought it was magical. I felt the cold wind blowing on my face, and noticed the heaviness of the winter jacket I was wearing, this too was magical. The loud noise of the cars crossing under the bridge, and the laughs from the girls trying to learn how to two-step outside of their dorm, it was magical. Everything was magical! I forgot about the reason why I had gone there in the first place. Time stopped, and as I walked to step on the bridge and looked at the horizon, I felt how God whispered – I’m with you! And remember… the top of the mountain is not as important as the climb there.

The clock on the dashboard of my car showed 9:06 p.m. when I pulled into the driveway of my house. I had been driving for more than 13 hours, and once I put my car in parked, one of the craziest adventures I have ever put myself through concluded. Yesterday I got back from a trip I made to Tennessee. I left on Monday 27^th and came back Wednesday 29^th. The whole goal of this trip was to hand a letter I had written to the Chancellor of the University of Tennessee. People asked –why don’t you just email it? Anybody can email a letter! But I don’t know of many people who will drive that far just to make sure the person receives it. -Do you have an appointment? Does she know you are coming? Nop, I don’t have an appointment, nor does she know I am coming. -What if you are not able to see her? I don’t know… I am going anyways. -Is anyone riding with you? That was the plan, but my friend cancelled on me last minute. -And you are still going? Yep, I’m still going. You know, even if you get to see her and hand her the letter that doesn’t guarantee anything right? I am aware. – You are crazy! I know. The fact is, I know it was a crazy idea! I had never driven that far, and I wasn’t sure if my Tarzan -name of my car- was going to be able to endure such a drive -Which by the way, he behaved like a gentleman!-. I knew driving there didn’t guarantee anything. I know that “realistically” It is hard to get the outcome I am expecting after handing her the letter, and I was very aware of the fact that maybe I wouldn’t even be able to see her. But, isn’t that what faith is all about? Isn’t faith the ability to see what is not as if it is? Isn’t faith the ability to believe even when everything is against you? Here is something people has not been able to understand. -Faith is not so much about the outcome, but the believe that it’s possible. The believe that if God is with you who can be against you? The believe that in your hands is not possible, but in his hands it is, and that’s why you move. After I shared the story with one of my friends, I concluded with the following sentence, “so now I’m literally in God’s hands… there is nothing else under my power” to what he replied – How good! You couldn’t be in better hands. if I don’t get to go to the University of Tennessee, I am in his hands. It may be hard to understand because believe me… I really want to go there, but he told me in his love letter that his plans for me are better than my own, so even when it hurts, I’d have to trust. I didn’t drive there because of the outcome! I drove there because he is the one who holds me… and if wings don’t grow when I jump, I know there is a hand that’s always ready to catch me when I fall.

I find it ironic to think that it was in Tennessee when Miley Cyrus wrote the song “the climb” in Hannah Montana the Movie. See, I can very much identify with that song! My steps feel wobbly, I’m not sure if I’m making the right decisions, and I’ve been having to let go of the idea of what’s waiting for me at the end of the mountain. As I looked at the horizon standing on that bridge, I was able to identify that like Miley says, the struggles I am facing and the chances I’m taking have brought to where I am today. I was able to once again be reminded that the beauty of this journey called life, is not found in reaching a goal but in the path to reach that goal. I was able to enjoy the view from where I am standing in my journey today… “it’s all about the climb.” Sometimes it is hard to advance in life because we feel unsure of what is ahead of us. The idea of letting go of what we have is terrifying, and the uncertainty of whether we are making the right decision or not makes us freeze. I feel you friend, I am terrified too! But there is something I want to tell you today. it is all part of the journey! And only those who choose to move forward will experience the excitement that comes after an accomplishment, or the wisdom that comes after a failure. Forget about the outcomes!! And just keep climbing, keep running, keep fighting. Take risks and choose to jump into the unknown… only then you will know how far you’ve come. For me, I’m still waiting on a response from the chancellor… but I can tell you this! I will never forget what an experience it was to drive by myself all the way to Tennessee just to drop off a letter. This made me stronger in my character, in my ability to make decisions, and added to the book of experiences that have shaped me into who I am today… whether I am able to attend or not, no one will take from me the many things I learned from this adventure. The best part? The climb is not over…

As always, I am thrilled to be part of your journey! I am rooting for you and remember that your father in heaven is rooting for you!!! I want to invite you to pursue a relationship with the only one who can teach you how to live a meaningful life. His name is Jesus, and he loves you more than you can ever imagine! Ask him to show you who he is and I promise your life will never be the same.

PS: The pic in this blog I took it with my phone. You can see the leaves and the bridge I talked about.