Have your ever been on a hike and found yourself stuck in a situation? Maybe not knowing what moves to make, or whether you should turn back around on the hike or continued forward.That was me on my last hike with my cousin. We wanted to explore as much as possible, this way when we come back again, we knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into. (Disclaimer, I forgot to tell my cousin that I was afraid of heights, but I think I forgot that I was afraid of heights.)

As we got towards the end of our hike, I found myself stopped in the middle of a downward hill and as my cousin looked back at me and said “Come on, let’s go.” I looked at her and said “I’m scared of heights and I can’t go down.” She laughed because she had no idea and my feet literally wouldn’t move, and when she recommended that we turn around, I said “I can’t move my feet.” As my cousin was there giving me advice to get down, I opted out and squatted flat on my butt and I literally slid down that hill.

What I realized was that no matter how scared I was, or afraid of the small trails, or steep trails, my cousin offered to be the fall for me so that I could overcome the trails we walked on. John 15:13 says “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.” My cousin had offered me to lean on her as we walked down, she stood in front of me at one point to stop me from slipping. I later realized that I didn’t just have a hiking buddy, I had someone who no matter what has always been there to help me through the hard times. Who not only hikes with me but who has been by my side through this life journey.

I know I am not the only one out there on this hike, and there might be individuals who are scared to even go on a hike. As humans, we are our own critics, we constantly have those voices telling us, “I can’t do it” “maybe tomorrow, we will try.” These negative responses keep us stuck on the hike forever. My cousin could have called search and rescue to come and air lift me off that mountain, but what good would that have been to me and my personal development. I stood there for a good five minutes before I made my next move.When we find ourselves in tough situations, do you say forget it and turn back around?

Do you have someone come and rescue you because you can’t seem to go forward? Or do you stop, breathe and figure out your next move? Just know that if you decide to turn back around, that does not mean that you are giving up on yourself, it just means that right now wasn’t your time. Just know that when you find yourself on the steep hill of the hike, each time you will conquer a little more until you have fully taken off. Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”There is always time to start over again, just know that one day you will say forget it and just push through.

I had the chance to turn back on our hike, but for some reason my body couldn’t turn around, because I looked over my shoulder and saw what I came down from and said “Nope, I’m not going up that hill.” I also knew that I wasn’t going to let my cousin call search and rescue to get me down either. It’s okay to have that one buddy that you are always turning to for advice, it was in that moment of fear for me that I told my cousin I was afraid of heights. When you’re on your hike, who’s that one person that you can break down to, and no matter what they will do what they can to get you through it all.

See, in my moment of fear my cousin did not hesitate at all, she stood in front of me and said, “Here, hold my back and I’ll walk you down.” Of course, I said no because I personally couldn’t move. I know we can sometimes be stubborn and not take help from others. Just know that you cannot expect people to help you out if you are not willing to let them in. Also, be careful because if you are picking and choosing when you want to let them in, that will not work either because these individuals don’t want to feel like you are only using them when you are in tough situations. A pastor in my church once said “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire. Is it something you grab hold onto always or is it something you only use when you crash. “Is your hiking buddy someone you turn to no matter what or only when you are in trouble.

My cousin then said to slide down on my butt, and I knew that was what I needed to do. Even though I didn’t physically use her body to guide me down, I still took her advice because I knew that she only had the best intensions for me. The one thing you should always keep in mind, does your hiking buddy have the best intentions for you. If you are always having to second guess the advice you are given, then you may need a new hiking buddy.

Deep inside we all know what we need to do or what we should be doing but sometimes we need to hear it from someone else to make it more real. For some individuals, you may have a hard time determining if the feeling you are thinking is the right decision, or is your mind trying to hold you back. When I was stuck, I knew that I needed to make it down this hill, and in my head, I told myself to slide down but I was unsure until I heard my cousin say “Just slide down on your butt, girl you will get down one way or another.” Once I heard those words I knew I was going to slide down. Whether you have a hiking buddy or not, the point is that when you are stuck in situations, what are your outcome decisions?

There are times in life when you may give up, but just know that it’s not the end of the world, it’s not the end of your life, and its not the end of a better you. Sometimes you must fail to get back up and try even harder. A journey you decide to go on, it’s okay to go on that journey with someone else. My cousin and I are on very different journeys, and have different ideas of where we want to be or even who we want to be, but that doesn’t keep us from leaning on each other. When I picked my hiking buddy I knew that it needed to be someone who had good intentions for me and who wasn’t going to guide me in the wrong direction.

In Jeremiah 29: 11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”When you’re on your hiking journey and you feel stuck on a steep heel, who’s standing beside you or helping you down. Are they there to help you become a better you or are they there to bring you down?