“Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.” – Isaiah 40:4
Growing up in the small town of Clymer, NY, I was privileged to run with the track team for 6 years in junior high and high school. Our team, led by “Coach Mac,” would run several miles each day on the rural roads in this farming community. One of our weekly destinations was “The Hill.” This incline was the site of our conditioning drills (I’ve later come to find that almost every team has “a hill”!).
“The Hill” was larger than life back in 7th grade. It was the subject of much conversation over the lunch table and on the bus. In our minds, we would wrestle and struggle and sometimes wage war against this nondescript section of road. It became an obstacle to conquer, a hurdle to overcome and a barrier to success. I’m sure the little hill had no idea how much anguish and pain it caused so many young people!
Looking back nearly 30 years later, it’s hard to believe how much power we ascribed to “The Hill.” Yet I also look back at the “hills” in my own life that I have allowed to stand in the way of the race of life – challenging relationships, tests in all their various forms, health issues, uncertainty and worry, fear, doubt, and the list goes on. As humans, we have a way of spending significant time focused on the hills that keep us from becoming the whole person God created us to be.
It’s also fun to remember what helped us get through our junior high “hill experience.” Good friends, lots of laughter, snacks at the end of practice and a few tears along the way. No matter what hill you are experiencing in life, God will give you the strength to conquer it if you stick close to Him, allow family and friends to join you along the way, and keep your heart and eyes focused on your goals. Keep running!
– Rev. Phil Greenwald, Executive Pastor of Administration
