(Guest blog on Yosemite from Eva, who we’ll likely be hearing more from next year, as she’ll be blogging more regularly for Shining Light)
There is truly something to be said about the beauty of God’s creation and it’s affect on our mood as well as our perspective of our place in this world. Coming to Yosemite National Park for two days right in the heart of Tour is a really interesting chance to revamp your attitude and get your head right for the duration of the trip. Waking up early has never been a delight for me, but for this free time, I was totally okay with waking up at the crack of dawn. On Monday (day 5) we woke up, packed up, and headed out on what would be a sleep filled six-hour bus ride. At this point we had all been riding the spiritual high from our fantastic San Quentin experience but it was beginning to wear off as we realized we could finally relax for the day. After catching up on a little sleep, and seeing more of why they call it the Golden Coast, we awoke to a world of new wonders and trees that for the first time looked familiar! Suddenly the scenery around us was swimming with dark greens and thick browns, not at all the golden rolling hills we have now begun to expect. We had entered Yosemite and on the ride in alone saw cliff sides bigger than cities, waterfalls crashing into the house-sized boulders and trees that appeared to stretch on forever. With nothing but our backpacks and our goals we all embarked on what turned into a great adventure that I will never forget.
It quickly became apparent to me that I was no leader of the pack. But that was totally okay with me. I had set my goal, and I was going to meet it when the day was done. I was determined to make it to the top of Vernal Falls and back…preferably without dying. Thanks to Gisy, I made that goal, and she did likewise. We quickly paired off and set the pace. Through the extreme ups, where she endured, and the downhill slopes where I excelled, we took turns periodically waiting for the other to catch up, before moving on. In true Shining Light fashion this process of accountability finally found us at the footbridge, which was just the halfway marker. Stopping only for a few pictures, we continued on the next leg of the journey—more hills… exactly what I wanted. But we made it up.
The last stretch of the journey was stairs. An infinite number of stairs stretched out before us ending only God knows where, but we kept climbing. As the waterfall finally came into view, I fell behind from our group because of downward travelling hikers and having to share the precariously shaped rock-stairs. The falls were excitingly close, but I found myself overtaken by the wild whipping winds and the fiercely cold spray, to the point where I became soaked to the bone and it took mere survival to spur sore muscles onward. After re-entering the safety of the trees, I rejoined the group, posing for a few pictures, and hearing Gisy’s resolve to turn back now. How could this happen with the end goal so near in sight! So close to achieving what we set out to do! I wasn’t having that defeatist attitude for a second. I told her that we started this thing together and we were ending this thing together. So we pushed forward.
All the words I could ever write (and as you can tell, I like to write a lot) could never express to you quite the satisfaction of getting to the top of the falls. Setting a goal, working hard for it (I mean really hard), and finally reaping the reward of what you had to maintain was worth it all along changed my perspective of giving up. There were so many times where it got hard in which I could have easily said, I’ve gotten this far, let’s just turn back and be pleased with what I have. But I never did. Quitting wasn’t even an option, and when faced with my partner almost giving in, I was not shaken in my resolve. I was going to make it. And when I did, the beauty stretched out before me was truly something to behold. It was all the more beautiful to me because I had earned the honor of sharing in God’s glorious creation.
In my reflection of the day that night in our tent-cabins, I realized that a lot of our experiences through the day could be likened to our experiences on tour. There are so many times were we get tired, irritated, cranky, and homesick. But we focus our eyes ahead on the goal that we have set in furthering the kingdom. We keep going because we’re all relying on each other. We press on, with strength that is not our own, leaning on God to do things that we could never even imagine in and of ourselves. This is a huge part of our devotions for the week, taking a chance and stepping out of our boat to walk on water with God. For me, hiking a mountain to get to the top of a waterfall was not a boat. I love hiking and always have. But not quitting when it got hard, and pushing my physical limits totally was a boat I was in. With the help of my strong friends, I am proud to say, I made the choice to step out of my boat. I saw the wind, and felt afraid as the water pushed in on me from every side, and in my need, Jesus did not let me be overtaken by the storm. Instead, when I doubted my ability to go on, I called out to Him, and he lifted me from the water, resulting in me growing in faith and strength.