The 2-mile walk around the perimeter of our neighborhood contains its share of vertical challenge. Especially for flat-landers from Houston or Orlando.

Turn left from our street and you immediately face a burn. Which is also how the circle-walk ends since we live positioned half-way up a hill. 

Some days earn the uphill label. Some lives have more than their share of uphill days.

You hop out of bed facing a climb. You pedal hard all day seemingly going nowhere. Coasting only gets you backwards. 11 pm arrives and you fall into bed praying tomorrow to bring some downhill stretches.

Hill living exhausts souls. But hill living also enlivens them. Strengthens them with a spine that stands strong and legs that climb farther and lungs that breathe fuller.

Especially if the soul knows Someone who knows hills.

Someone who leads you through the struggles of an unhappy home.

Someone who guides you through the fog of an unsatisfying job.

Someone who sweats when you sweat and bleeds when you bleed and pleads when you can’t.

All the while building faith memory in your soul. 

All the while giving you hope that the Jesus who carried you through the past will certainly carry you through the future.

Even if the trip is all uphill.