Rise every time you fall

I found this amazing little book from when Rob and I participated in a Veteran’s Outward Bound hiking trip in Colorado. It seemed fitting as I am getting ready to embark on another pilgrimage seeking quiet and time with God while hiking a few miles a day! In this little book, I found this wonderful quote from Oliver Goldsmith, an Irish poet. “Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” This resonated with me as I am still in recovery from my back and was struggling with the decision if I should still go on this trip. I think if my focus was on making the miles everyday and being able to say I hiked the Camino, I may have never started. Instead, I shifted my focus to doing all that I can on any given day and in any given moment…and that would be enough. The experience is not about marking off the miles, it is about doing something that pushes me-and I know I will be pushed. It is about doing something that gives me quiet time with God while witnessing so much that He created-and I know I will see and experience things I have never seen before. This experience, is about connecting with others on similar journeys-and I know I will come closer to those I know and find new friends in this experience. Just like Oliver Goldsmith said, avoiding this trip because of fear of falling or failing would rob me of so much. So, as I take each step I will know that if on that day I cannot hike anymore, it was still a good day because of all that I was able to experience and I will stand up the next day and continue hiking. I love that as I am in the bible daily, I find verses that resonate with me on any given day. God reminds us of something similar, “though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes” (Proverbs 24:16, NIV)