Stronger than you know...

Sometimes I feel so weak and small, like I could never accomplish anything big, anything of value. But then God surprises me and shows me that through Him, I can do great things. He shows me that in Him, I am stronger than I could ever imagine. Case in point: yesterday's hike.

I decided to boycott the Superbowl and spend the day outside, worshiping God and checking out some of the hikes in the Irish Hills area behind my house. I began at the Bog Thistle Nature Trail and wound up the hill. The trail was narrow and times, and very steep. There were rocks in the way that threatened to keep me from climbing the hill. With my trusty worship tunes cranked up, and a prayer in my heart, I somehow managed to make it to the top of the trail. When I checked my watch, I realized that I had only been hiking for fifteen minutes.

Dissatisfied with the shortness of the hike, I pressed on and began to ascend the Mariposa Trail, which I had previously avoided because it looked so steep and long. Although I was almost run over by some mountain bikers at a couple of points, I made it up the hill. Along the way I saw some beautiful sights, including the view from Durata Vista and Morro View Trail. God's creation is incomparable.

From Durata Vista you can see from Cerro San Luis to Morro Bay.

In total, I wound up hiking nearly five miles, up some steep terrain, with no one to push me or encourage me. No one, that is, except for Jesus, who was encouraging me at every step. Each time I wanted to turn around and go back down the hill, the Holy Spirit gave me renewed energy, both in mind and body, pushing me to go farther than I thought I could. As a woman who weighs over 250 lbs. and has questionable aerobic abilities, this accomplishment seemed nearly impossible. But in God's strength it was accomplished.

My hike is in black: I took Bog Thistle Trail - Mariposa Trail - Morro View Trail, with a short detour to Durata Vista.

There are other areas, too, where the Lord has been proving that His strength prevails when my own runs out. He has been restoring my spiritual relationship with my sister in a way that has been amazing to see. She has now been coming to church with me for over a month, and her faith is growing exponentially. She has been sharing the God's goodness with her friends, fellow cheerleaders, and roommates.

I've been asking God for something like this to happen for years. But for years, I've been trying to "make" my sister want a relationship with God on my terms, rather than allowing Him to reach my sister on His terms. And when I finally decided to let go and trust God, He brought Becky back to Him. So you see: In God's strength, amazing things can be accomplished. It's when I rely too much on my own strength that I stumble and fall. I've got to work on letting Jesus be my strength more often.