There comes a time in the lives of all leaders, when turning back is not a viable option.It's a moment when the mountain is too high, the attacks too strong, the pain to deep to continue...and yet we must.
Let me use an example from my own life: My husband, his best friend, his daughter and I were headed out for a hike around a lake in the High Sierras of California. The day was warm and comfortable at 7am. We walked for about 5 miles, enjoying the exercise and chit-chatting about nonsensical things.We stopped by a rushing glacial stream to eat lunch and turn around to head back to camp.
The path of no return
Suddenly, as we turned to go back, we saw that the path we had taken was under water! Unbeknownst to us, a small dam at the other end of the lake had been released, and our way back to camp was completely blocked. We had no choice but to go forward...up steep rocks in the blistering sun, with no supplies left.
What started out to be an easy hike by the lake had turned into a matter of survival for me, the blond sunlight-sensitive person.I drank from pools of water that had bear tracks in the mud beside them. The heat stroke started to set in. As I climbed the bare rocks before me, my vision started to cloud and I knew I was in serious trouble. I also foolishly looked down at the spear-like treetops below me. I froze.
My husband saw that I was growing sicker, so he threw the buckle end of his belt to me, and literally hauled me off that rock. Ahead he saw a fallen tree, and shoved it down the steep shale-covered hillside into the lake. We slid down the embankment and he dragged me into the water. The cool drenching saved my life, as we floated back to camp on the log.I started to feel better before we got to the other side. The others had no ill effects and simply hiked back to camp around the rest of the lake. My husband smiled and told me I had passed my "survival training." I felt oddly victorious, and the view from that part of the lake was spectacular. We had trekked 12 miles in 98 degree heat, with not enough water or food. And we could not turn back.
Never Give Up
When it feels like you want to give up, when you just can't go on another minute, don't give up. Fight through the pain, the sorrow, the heartaches, the attacks, the steep climb, and keep going. You can't go back now, you've come too far. Even though you are tired, victory is coming. That feeling when you have won, when you have overcome all the odds against you, is unfathomable. And God is with you, even when it feels like He is not.
