The Climb

Sienna grunted as her foot caught a root in the path. She squinted ahead of her, hoping to see where the path led, but all she could see were trees. She sighed and kicked at a stone. She knew Dad was hoping this mountain hike would take her mind off Kaia, but it wasn't working. As Sienna made her way up a steep point in the path, her foot slipped and she fell, skinning her knee. Dad rushed over and pulled the first aid kit from his bag. As he bandaged her knee, Sienna started to cry. "I want to go home!" she sobbed. "I know we're just doing this to forget about Kaia."Dad helped her to her feet. "Trust me, Sienna, we're almost there. It'll be worth it, I promise."Sienna wiped her eyes and nodded. She made her way up the hill, her knee stinging. As she crested the top, she saw a rocky ledge, and beyond that, open sky. They walked over to the ledge in silence, and the sight took Sienna's breath away. Below them, trees stretched out in every direction. "Wow," said Sienna. "Look at how high we are!"Dad nodded. "We've come a long way. We never would have gotten a view like this from the ground." He eased his pack off his shoulders. "I didn't bring you up here to forget about Kaia--I just wanted to give you a new perspective. Remember how you trusted me when I told you that the hard hike would be worth it?" Sienna nodded. "Well, God has a mountaintop view of our lives," said Dad."Meaning He sees things differently than us," Sienna said. Dad nodded. "Trusting God doesn't mean we ignore the hard things in life. We don't know why your best friend got cancer, and we don't know what's going to happen because of it. But God does, and He promises to be with us in every situation. He loves us so much that Jesus died for us, and He gives us strength when it feels like we can't go on." He squeezed Sienna's shoulder. "I know you're worried about Kaia, but remember that while you can only see one small part of her life, God can see the whole thing. He loves her and can use even this tough situation to show her--and you--how good He is."–Courtney Lasater