A little Higher,
A little Better, Together
This summer my daughter, Sydney, attended her last youth camp with our congregation before heading off to college. Their first full day in camp was dedicated to a ten mile hike, five miles up to a beautiful mountain lake and five miles back.
As they enjoyed the lake, the hike leader who was very familiar with the area invited anyone who wanted to join him in hiking to a lake another couple of miles up the trail with a different trail back down the mountain that would only be a little more effort. Sydney was feeling good and joined the group that continued up the mountain.
After they attained each destination, the leader offered another opportunity just a little further with a different trail back down the mountain. Bit by bit he led them on.
They encouraged each other up the mountain, shared snacks and enjoyed each other’s company. As they neared their last objective, they found a ten foot wall of snow blocking the way. If they didn’t get over it, they wouldn’t be able to take the shorter trail down and would have to back track the longer route. Sydney didn’t see how she could get over it by herself and she didn’t want to go back and she didn’t need to. Several of the boys scaled the drift and then reached back down to pull up the others. Soon she found herself with a spectacular view.
What had started as a ten mile hike had, with the help of her friends, become step by step twenty miles with memories, lessons and friendships to last a lifetime. They did together what they never could have done alone.
“We can and should press forward with faith in Christ along the strait and narrow path and make steady progress toward our eternal destiny. The Lord’s pattern for spiritual development is ‘line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little’….I witness that the Savior will strengthen and assist us to make sustained, paced progress.” (Elder David A. Bednar, October 2007)
Wherever we find ourselves, the Lord can lead us on, step by step, a little higher, a little further, a little better to spectacular views and relationships to last an eternity when we walk together in faith.