How Did I Miss This?

 We are cleaning our trail runners, hiking boots and Tevas again, getting all the red trail dirt off. Removing the tiny stones that made their way into the tread of their soles.

December 2024, we traveled to Chile and Argentina to hike the small spine of the Andes Mountains that extends into the Tierra del Fuego archipelago. We had studied the unpredictable weather pattern of this summer month. Lots of rain, low misty clouds and even snow could make the rocks slippery and the trails muddy. While we have always felt sure-footed and our footwear is dependable, we weren't sure about the trails we had selected and hoped to hike in this new territory.

It was then that we got the idea to invite several friends to send us scriptures that related to "feet, agility, and balance." We did not want to stumble, fall or slip on the large boulders or steep climbs. In the front of my journal, I randomly recorded the scriptures received under a numbered day.   

Once we began our hiking days, I recorded a scripture connected to the numbered day from the front of my journal. Under Day 1, I had written Philippians 4:13 so I transferred that scripture to the top of my Day 1 journaling day and included it in our daily devotions.

God had known exactly which scripture would randomly be placed at the top of my journaling days. At the end of each day, we were amazed how perfectly that scripture given to us by friends had upheld us. 

One friend had given us Psalms 18:33, "He makes me sure-footed as a deer; he keeps me safe on the mountains." That day, we hiked two very different trails and God's promise had kept us sure-footed. 

Another friend had given us Proverbs 16:9, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." On the evening of this day, we boarded a Busbud coach at 3:30P from Chile to arrive in Argentina at 8:30P. God certainly ordered our steps that time and our stops, too. Did He know we needed rest? Our bus arrived 3 hours later in Argentina at 11:30P. He had ordered our steps to include stopping. 

Today, August 2025, I re-read the scripture from Psalms 119:105, randomly read on December 11, 2024: "Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path."  How did I miss this? I had not noticed the two prepositional phrases, "for my feet" and "on my path."  December 2024, we had hiked the Grey Glacier tundra toward a small island. We started very early, almost alone. Once atop the mountain, gale winds blew in, actually bringing a heavy, grey cloud cover. We needed light in order to see the trailhead leading  back to the tundra. The scripture that morning had promised He would highlight our path. The winds blew the low clouds, allowing strips of sunlight to escape and light our path. That is what God had done for us. He reminded us today in 2025 as we read this scripture how He had made it real in 2024. 

Perhaps you are on a trail or a path and you do not want to stumble, fall or slip. Maybe you are tired and you need to stop and rest. His Word is the lamp that lights and leads the way. That's a sure-footed promise! 

Keep Looking Up!

J:m and L:inda

Big Mountain, Small Steps

Has a painting or a photo of nature ever snagged you to stand still and imagine where that path leads or who might walk that path?

In recent years, we have travelled some interesting paths; some have been very isolated while others have been bustling with travelers. There are times when we pause briefly to chat with those around us and discover they live in the surrounding villages or towns.  

In other countries, on a path, some locals stop us and chat, noticing that we walk among the many pilgrims walking the Camino route to Santiago, Spain or through Tuscany on the Via Francigena, a historic route stretching from Canterbury, England all the way to Rome, Italy. 

In their beautiful accents, they share a snapshot of ancient stories about their past and then bid us Buen Camino! or Bon Viaggio! with a friendly wave. One story in particular has stayed with us. 

We were walking a stunning stretch of the Via Francigena through Tuscany, midday on Day 3 when a private gate opened and a lovely, sparkling clean couple stepped out and greeted us. It was unusually hot that afternoon, and we were predictably dusty at that time of the day! Their accents revealed they were from the UK or Australia, but we knew better than to make which assumption. 

Our accents revealed we were Americans, and they paused to open a conversation to share they were from London. (We were happy for that disclosure early on!) They were going our way up the hill and walked along with us.We asked them about their lifestyle in London, and they spoke of their children and their retirement years. They escape London's summer months and vacation in Tuscany.  Eventually, we arrived at a small village and found a shady spot to rest and continue to chat. We were carrying our backpacks and probably wearing clothes we had just pulled from wear the day before. Now, we were face to face with a spick-and-span couple with Downton Abby accents, yet they wanted to walk with us and hear about the reason for our pilgrimage. 

 

     We shared, "The stages of the VF offer us quiet and serene walking days with hours of together conversation. We make plans while walking, admire the Creator's handiwork and solve problems. We laugh about everything and rest on stone walls to eat our snacks. We pray through the day, and we visit with nice people like you."

    

    She answered, "Don't we all need days filled with laughter and rest? Everyone has hills to climb."

   

     I found that comment most interesting - 'We all have hills to climb' and responded, "Yes, and these Tuscan hills have been quite a challenge for us. The elevation is sometimes endless!"

  

      "We hike in England, and we have a saying, Big Mountain, Small Steps. We always reach the top with that strategy." She smiled. 

    

We took a few sips of our water and wished each other well as we continued on up that endless Tuscan hill.     

We will never meet that couple again, but too many times to count, we have quoted "Big Mountain, Small Steps" as we encounter some mountains that seem unsurmountable midway up. Since then, we have applied that strategy to both spiritual and daily challenges. They were from England and we were from America, and, providentially, our experiences overlapped within a third country. 

At the end of that long day, after our visit to a lavandería automatica, after bellies full of fresh pasta and warm bread, now spick-and-span clean, I sat at a desk in our room and wrote the English couple's quote in my journal. 

Do you have a mountain that seems insurmountable?

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains - where does my help come from?  

My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth." (Psalm 121:1-2)

Keep Looking Up!

  J:m and L:nda