If you’ve done any hiking in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, you soon become familiar with the term “talus” to describe the myriad of midsize rocks that cover the upper elevations. The treeline ends at 11,500 feet and you are quickly greeted by an a talus welcoming party.
My friend, Tim, had the crazy idea to invite me to join him as he finished his last climb to “bag” all 54 mountains above 14,000 feet in the state. I didn’t realize he left one of the hardest ones until last. It was called El Diente, or “the tooth,” in Spanish. At 14,165 feet, it is one of the highest summits in the San Juan Mountains located in southwestern Colorado.
It was an arduous eight-hour climb to the top with hardly a path in sight. I ran out of water half way up and had to drink snow melt from a filtered bottle. Fortunately, Tim came prepared and had a high tech bottle available. The trek pushed me so far out of my comfort zone that I wanted to quit many times. If it weren’t for Tim, I wouldn’t have made it. (I’m pictured hiking down the talus on a poorly marked path).
Conquering the summit and enjoying the breathtaking beauty made it an amazing experience in spite of the relentless uphill track and perilous drop-offs. It seemed an apt metaphor of my midlife journey. Except in real life I hadn’t made it to the top yet (and I could still go off the edge).
I took this next picture while biking on the Santa Fe Trail as it leisurely wound its way through the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. It was nearly flat, well marked and offered its own beauty. Summer flowers dotted the way with a stream meandering by.
During the ride some storm clouds rolled in which caused me to take cover under a pine tree to shield the rain. After about thirty minutes the rain and wind subsided enough to ride back to the trail head only a little mud splattered. It was a relatively easy experience compared to the storms that buffet a 14,000 foot peak.
I got to thinking about which path would I really choose to be on in midlife. The flat, smooth one would be nice, but was that where I should be? Did I want to live a leisurely life strolling away my time, or tackle something formidable where I needed God to show up for it to succeed?
It’s my opinion that midlife frequently places us on a mountain ascent rather than an easier road so the choice is made. There is a surprising concentration of hard realities that confront us during this season. Among them are regrets, marriage struggles, financial challenges, health issues, aging parent needs and adult children problems.
Here are 4 essentials to remember when you’re on a steep midlife mountain:
- Grip tightly to your faith. God won’t fit neatly in your box of expectations, but He is doggedly faithful to journey with you. Look for the many ways He will show up along the incline.
- Don’t walk alone. Share honestly about how hard things are with someone trusted so they can provide encouragement when you feel like quitting. Even better, invite them to get on the trail with you. They might have the equivalent of a filtered water bottle handy to keep you going.
- Find beauty in the situation. Beauty is immensely renewing to the heart. It’s all around us if we can just look differently at our surroundings. God is the author of beauty which also draws us to Himself.
- Hold onto to hope. Hope is the antidote to despair. God provides hope for our exact place on the path. You are probably farther along to the summit than you realize! This verse in Romans is a good reminder and worth memorizing: “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (15:13).
What have you found helpful to keep you going when the midlife journey gets especially difficult? You could probably add many other suggestions to my list. I would be interested in hearing them.
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