Man, what an amazing week for my wife Hollie and I, we recently got back from our vacation out in Arizona... and to be quite honest, it is unexplainable the views and the clarity we gained this last week. We headed out there for my 50th Birthday, and one of the things that we were preparing for this last year and 3 months was, to hike down the Grand Canyon and back up.
This image, is at one of the bottoms of the canyon... that's right, "One of the Bottoms." LOL. This is close to 5 miles down from the top, and the trail you see behind us is the trail coming out of the first bottom called, "The Indian Gardens." We were going to head out to the end of the plateau.... which you will see in this next pic.
So, as we were about to hike to the end of the plateau trail, we paused and discussed if we were ready to hike another 1.2 miles to the end. See, we still had to walk, (Hike) back from the end point, and all the way back up and it was already getting close to 10 am. And mind you, we had hiked down 3.0 hours from the rim of the canyon, and this was our first time hiking down the canyon, ever. So, we definitely did not want to over do it.
After a quick decision, we decided to fill our water bags up, eat a little something, and trek back up the rock. When I say "The Rock", that's exactly what she is.... a HUGE ROCK, and she is not a force to be reckoned with!
One of the clarity pieces that I received was that something of this magnitude, has to not only be prepared for, but also respected. When you are about to venture out into the abyss of something that you have never truly done before, you must count the cost... and be ready for the unexpected. (That will be another blog post)
What is the message I am sending out today? Here it is.... "Know Your Limits", and not only yours, but those that are walking things out with you. Yes, those that are with you on your journey of life. Those that you are creating relationships with, business ventures, ministry moves and all of the above. For Hollie and I, this trip, this hike and this trail was all about our marriage partnership. We had to check in not only with ourselves, but with each other, discuss and respect each others abilities in the moment!
This hike wasn't one sided, it was a team effort! We both carried the same vision, and appropriately walked it out together.
So, I wanted to stop by to encourage you.... you are not alone in your journey! You have someone that is willing to go with you, you just have to find that special person. This person isn't necessarily a marriage partner, but someone that God has prepared for you to accomplish a vision that you both carry.
I pray this has blessed you in some way, shape or form!
Have a great day!
Coach Paul