"Hike Your Own Hike"

My favorite Grand Canyon Hiking FB Group has a saying that I’ve seen repeated over and over, “Hike your own hike.” It’s often said to encourage others not to worry about how they hike, fast, slow, whatever, as compared to how others hike.

I admit, I struggle with this one, finding the place to be comfortable to hike my own hike. I always seem to measure how good of a hiker I am compared to others. If my pace is slow, then I must be out of shape, I’m not as good as they are, I’m a burden to them, and then my pride gets in the way and I over pace myself and I run out of steam. It doesn’t matter that my legs are short and the pace of others feels like a slow jog to me; or, that I stop often and take photos. And, while I’m working hard on improving my fitness, I often am not as fit as others, at least for now. But I’m out there, loving most every moment, when I’m not comparing myself.

Yesterday, my devotion was from Philippians 2:9-11. What jumped out at me was “every knee will bow, every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.” It made me stop and wonder, does my life look like a confession that Jesus is Lord? Do my words and actions reflect that?

And then came the comparisons… I thought of so many of my friends who give so much of themselves. They are involved in various ministries at church, or in their community… they are great neighbors… they are always doing something for someone else… and then I wanted to run and hide because that just sounds exhausting to me. I love the things I’m involved in, it’s things I’m deeply passionate about but I keep a lot of time for being quiet too. But maybe I’m being selfish and I need to give more of myself? Talk about a spiraling, comparison rabbit hole!

And then in the chaos of my thoughts, a gentle, quiet whisper echoed in my heart… “Hike your own hike.” And I remembered a lesson I learned a few years ago. I was wrestling hard with a situation in my life and I desperately wanted to do the right thing but I had no idea what that was. 

One day as I sat pouring my heart out to God, I had a crystal clear thought. God doesn’t want obedience to be such a mystery to me. If it’s what He has for me, then I can trust Him to lead me, to show me. That day, I surrendered my need to be a ‘good girl’ and figure it out. I said, “Ok God, I’m willing to do whatever you put on my heart, but until You do, I’m not going to wrestle with this anymore. I trust You to lead me, step by step.” In other words, I don’t have to compare myself to others, I can trust You to guide me in hiking my own hike. When that situation came to a close, I had no regrets. I had followed Him step by step and I was at peace with the choices I had made.

Physically I am different from others, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually I am also different. I am fearfully and wonderfully made… God knit me together in my mother’s womb… stitch by stitch with intention and love and with a purpose. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should WALK in them.” There’s that word… WALK… and we walk step by step. And if He uniquely prepared us for the good works that He has planned for us, shouldn’t I trust Him that He will show me what those works are? Not try and figure them out, based on how He has prepared someone else for a different set of good works?

My life will be a life that confesses Jesus is Lord, if I trust Him to show me the path He has for me and hike my own hike, the one He has prepared for me and uniquely crafted me to walk.