"Thank God for blisters, for they have a tale to tell...
While others suffer from inactivity, I've been moving very well!!"

That's what I thought of this afternoon as Jen and I descended the 4,000+ feet of elevation from our climb up Mt. San Jacinto! (Yes, we decided to take on yet another mountain!!!) Unfortunately, I wasn't in tip-top shape to begin with, as I feel like this last week has been a marathon for me.....rushing here, running there...long hours at work...short on sleep...much to do getting prepared for this weekend...not to mention planting some vegetables in my back patio and tending to my flower beds which seem to be sprouting weeds quicker than I can turn around! (Reminds me of raising children...as soon as you get them watered/fed and cleaned up, they are dirty and hungry again! And that's been the story of my plants!!!)

So when we started our steep climb about 6am this morning (Got up again at 4am to be ready to go so we could hit the trail early), I was definitely on the low side of energy and enthusiasm!! Don't get me wrong, I wanted to climb the mountain...and as we are planning on taking a group to hike Mt. Whitney in June, I need to build my endurance up...but...sometimes...much as I love hiking and the exhilaration of reaching yet another peak...sometimes you just get tired! And today was one of those days!! As my grandma use to say, I felt like "My get up and go, got up and went!"

But it was a beautiful day...and as usual Jen and had a wonderful time!!!! And the almost 12 miles (total trip) were worth the effort after having reached the top! Coming down was a challenge though, as I began to feel a blister in development! (I already had some from my gardening adventures yesterday!) My breaks were also starting to burn out...as there wasn't much I could do to keep my toes from cramming into the ends of my hiking boots, so I wasn't real comfortable! But as I hobbled along near the end of our journey, the thought hit me... "Thank God for blisters!" And the above rhyme came to my head.

Daily I meet people who don't have the physical health that they could go climb a mountain, let alone walk down the street. Daily I meet people who don't have space where they live for any gardening, much less the know-how to make something grow! Daily I meet people who even if they did have the skills have lost their vision and purpose in living, and have no more desire to do something constructive with their time than they have to turn off the tube!!! Yes, blisters and sore muscles are painful...but they are the sign of an incredible blessing and opportunity that God has given me every day! The ability to use my hands, the ability to test my endurance...and most importantly the ability to reach out to others.

On Monday I met another young girl who was in the hospital for an overdose (attempted suicide) and was the picture of hopelessness and despair. I've taken care of a number of failed suicide attempts now...and with each one somehow, God has opened the doors for me to share His love and His desire to make something special of their lives! (It wasn't an accident that their attempt to end their life failed!) And with Sarah (a pseudonym) things were the same. As soon as I found out that she was gonna be my patient I knew that God had another special mission in store for my day, and I was right! God providentially, as He so beautifully does, opened the doors wide open for me to have quite the heart to hear talk with her...and it ended with her re-consecrating her life to God with the plan to make a new start. Needless to say, although Monday was a tiring day and I was exhausted from running up and down the hospital halls tending to 10 patients...I was sooooo glad that I'd been called in to work on that day!!!

So, how do all my stories tie together? Well, today that linking thread was "blisters." Blisters from hiking a really high mountain, or being an industrious gardener are "worthy scars" I suppose. But I was thinking...what if I were soooooooooo intent about doing the Lord's work that I was getting blisters from that! (I'm not quite sure what those would look like!) But I've the distinct impression, that much as I love God and I desire to serve Him with each breath I take, I still fall way short of what I could be doing through Him and His strength in reaching those around me! He's given me a body and hands, a heart, a mind, a voice....so many gifts....gifts that many don't have....gifts that I often take forgranted. But are they being put to work as enthusiastically for Him as they have been in attacking the vegetable garden and the weeds?! Are the gifts God's given me gaining blisters and battles scars for the eternal kingdom?? Deep questions and worth pondering for all of us, I am sure!!

My marathon is not over...the next couple weeks promise to keep me hopping and on my toes! I've also got another couple long days at the hospital before my week is over. (Thankfully next week is it and I'm done until God leads further!) Although exhilerated from the beautiful day up in the mountains, I am still tired...just as I was when I started! So in closing, I'll just share a verse that's spoken to me the last few days...

"I can do ALL things THROUGH CHRIST who gives me STRENGTH." Phil 4:13

PS: More Pics to be posted soon from today's hiking adventures!