We visited the Grand Canyon a couple years ago.
I had zero intention of hiking down into the canyon and was very content staying up on the rim and taking nice shuttle rides around the park.
But there are warnings EVERYWHERE for those who are intending to hike down into the canyon.
Every brochure, every sign, every trailhead.
They say, basically, “Do you have a realistic plan?
“Lots of people hike down into the canyon and are unprepared for how difficult it is to hike back out.
“We have to do a lot of rescues, either by ranger or by helicopter.
“Make sure you really know what you are getting yourself into, and that you are extremely physically fit to do this hike.”
I can only imagine the kinds of stories that have caused these warnings to be plastered everywhere.
People choose to hike down into the canyon (the easy part), and then get caught off guard doing the uphill climb while they are already exhausted.
And then realize they completely miscalculated their abilities.
And that they need a lot of help.
And the park service has to spend a lot of manpower and expenses to get them out.
Thanks goodness the Lord is with us to the end, right?!
Sometimes, life is like a walk down into the Grand Canyon.
But other times, it seems like we’ve been asked to hike out of a giant hole in the ground in scorching noonday Arizona heat.
(Or maybe we are just riding the shuttle around in the rim, with air conditioning.)
But literally no matter what our pathway is, our Lord is with us to the end.
“I will be with them even unto the end.” D&C 75:13
For those who ask for the Lord to travel with them, He will be there the entire time.
He isn’t rolling His eyes when He has to come rescue us again. He isn’t frustrated that He has to stop what He’s doing to give help in a situation you got yourself into in the first place.
He’s just there. Whenever we ask.
What a kind, wise Heavenly friend.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black
