As the Revelation Wellness Director of Events, I have the privilege of attending our fundraising event every year called “Rim to Him” where a group of about 50 hikers hike the Grand Canyon from rim to rim. I love watching and encouraging the hikers from the sidelines, setting up their hospitality rooms, and ensuring that everyone gets from Point A to Point B.  I am content to smile at them, feed them, and encourage them, but the thought of actually hiking? No thank you!  I’m happy on the sidelines.  As far back as I can remember, I’ve had an extreme fear of heights.  Airplanes and roller coasters don’t bother me because I’m not in control and trust the engineers, but put me on the ledge of a cliff and I’m living my nightmare, trembling hands and heart palpitations included.

After the Rim to Him event this year, I felt a nudge from the Lord that He was calling me into new territory. My prayer time after that nudge went something like this:  “You want me to hike?  You have got to be kidding me Lord. First of all, where in the world would you like for me to hike in Michigan? Why on earth are you calling me off the sidelines? Things are going great over here!”  If you are reading this and know the Lord like I do, you’re probably laughing, because we all know how these stories end. When we walk in obedience outside of our comfort zone, pathways are formed right there in the wilderness, every single time.  The wilderness is full of so much beauty, and that beauty tunes my heart into gratitude to the Lord.  I am grateful for the wilderness and grateful because our Father always knows best.

So, when the Lord provided the opportunity, I laced up my tennis shoes and hiked Piestewa Peak in Phoenix, Arizona with a group of Revelation Wellness leaders.  It was glorious.

The night before we hiked, I was telling a coworker and friend the whole story of how this came about.  She had actually hiked the canyon earlier this year and hung up her hiking shoes post rim-to-rim, but leaned over and told me she would go with me.  Have you ever done that? Checked something off your bucket list but when a friend says the Lord is calling them to do something,  you say you want to come too? My heart is stunned into stillness and gratefulness to know that such a thing was done for me.

The hike started off easily as we slowly wrapped ourselves around the mountain.  I could not believe that I was actually enjoying it! The Lord is a good good Father and will often call us into the wilderness to show us beauty and strength.  It is a lie to believe that the wilderness is only a dry and desolate place.

Everyone was moving at their own pace. We were all on mission to hit the summit but not wanting to miss the moments of stunning beauty along the way. How often do we hustle through life from task A to task B, missing the beauty on the journey?  This prayer resounds in my mind even now: “Lord let this be ingrained in my memory– to follow where you lead, but keep the lens on the current moment, instead of obsessing about the finish.”  The sun was rising and cascading on the different peaks in the horizon. Beauty in the wilderness, indeed!  

The view of the city from the climb reminded me that right next to the hustle and bustle of the outside world, we had stillness and peace right where we were. This short hike was teaching me so much, including the truth that I needed to stay in my own lane. If I tried to look around at what others were doing, I could trip or slip right off of the mountain! One step at a time, eyes straight ahead, I told myself.  

About halfway up the mountain, it occurred to me that I had been constantly smiling from the start. Who could have guessed it? “Yes Lord, I thought,  “you sure are doing a new thing here.”  I started noticing the beauty 

of the rock formations that made up this mountain, each piece so different from the next.  I felt the Lord tell me in my spirit, “You are safe in the cleft of my rock” (Exodus 33:22). He knew that the desire of my heart was to feel safe as I went along. I was feeling His presence all around me right there in the wilderness of His creation.  I was reprogramming my own fleshly thoughts, not simply trekking through but enjoying every second of it. I found that it was difficult  to stay stuck in anxiety when I shifted my focus to GRATITUDE.  While worshiping Him for the beauty of His creation, I found that the resounding joy of gratitude powerfully silenced all of my anxieties.

We reached the high summit, and those old feelings of fear tried to drown out my peace, but I chose not to let them master me and stayed in my own lane. I felt the most comfortable sitting in the cleft of the rock. There would be no Titanic moment on the ledge of the mountain with open arms for me, but I was safe and rejoicing in the cleft of the rock. 

When it was time to descend, I had no idea what to expect. Let’s just say that going down was not my favorite, but I made it.  I let go of my dignity and allowed myself to just get through the journey one step at a time.  

So I say with a grateful heart, “Lord, thank you for the beauty in the wilderness, the rivers in the desert, and the friends who say, “I’ll go with you any day.”

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”  -Isaiah 43:19

  Kristen Ulin, Revelation Wellness Director of Events and Instructor.

RevWellTV is your resource for at-home, heart and body workouts! Join Sara, a Revelation Wellness Lead Instructor,  for your #wednesdayworkout. This workout is a core strengthener, entitled, “Psalms.” Enjoy!