At the end of December, I made up my mind to try to get healthier. I’m considering it a lifestyle change and not a new year’s resolution. It’s a mental thing.

One of the things I’m trying to do is to start hiking. My friend Landon and I hiked Pine Mountain in Cartersville, GA a few weeks ago, and to say I’m out of shape would be an understatement. This is why when you read this blog it will sound like I hiked Everest instead of Pine Mountain.

Despite my poor conditioning, the hike was made easier by my friend Landon. For one thing, it was great to have someone to walk and talk with. The deeper into the conversation we got the less I thought about how tired I was.

Another thing that helped me was seeing how easily he hiked the mountain.  There was absolutely no competition between Landon and me, but I naturally tried to keep pace with him. I don’t know if he knew he was encouraging me, but he was, without saying a word.

As Christians, one of our greatest commands is to love our neighbor as ourselves. This of course includes helping, uplifting, and encouraging others through life. Sometimes the best way to do that is to simply “keep walking”. Actions speak louder than words, and if we set forth an example of steadfastness in our commitment to God through all of life’s ups and downs it will no doubt impact those are around us.

A couple of days ago I went to the trail again, this time with my son Kayden. This was Kayden’s first time doing a hike like this, so I don’t think he knew what was coming. He started strong but began to struggle as the trail got steeper. I realized he was going to need some help, and the days of throwing him on my shoulders and carrying him along were long gone.

Some people respond to certain types of encouragement, while others need a different type. As Kayden’s father I knew what would help him the most. I was very vocal but gentle with him, telling him that I knew he could do it. I stopped with him whenever he needed to rest and told him that it was ok to stop as long as he got back up and kept going. I reminded him of the view that awaited us at the top, and that he had come too far to turn back. I know this all sounds very cliché, but it worked.

Something I took away from my second hike is that it was much easier when I took on the role of an encourager. Maybe that is because we went at a slower pace, but I think it’s more because there was a need for me to step up and be stronger for my son. I had led through the whole trail but as we neared the top I let Kayden go first and when we arrived, I found more satisfaction in his victory than my own.

Like I mentioned above, there are many times when we help others just by the way we live, but sometimes that’s not enough. Sometimes words are needed. Sometimes hard conversations and awkward situations are needed, and sometimes we can help just by being brutally honest about ourselves and life in general.

I never once told Kayden that the trail was going to be easy, as Landon never said that to me on my first hike. As a matter of fact, he told me that some of it was hard. It helped to know that I wasn’t the only one who thought it was hard. Pretending like things are easy when they’re not only makes others that are struggling feel worse about themselves. I am reminded of a line in a great song by Casting Crowns that says “The last thing this lost world needs is someone I’m trying to be…” We don’t always have to go into personal details about our struggles but putting up a front of perfection isn’t going to help anyone.

So, whether you find yourself hiking along with ease, or you find yourself sitting on a rock beside the trail gasping for air, remember that we’re in this together. We are not here to compete or outdo one another, but to assist one another. Life is hard, living for God is hard, and we need all the help we can get, or at least I know I do.

God bless!

I look forward to your comments, questions, and corrections below.