Richard Craig, Author at GraceAndWorks - Page 24 of 59

Back in the early years of my sales career, I did a lot of traveling. I remember one winter when I was traveling Kansas, Nebraska, and Colorado. It seemed like every day when I got up to go to the next town, I encountered icy roads. This story took place in the late 1970’s.

In late October/early November, we had an ice storm and then it snowed on top of the ice. The winter was cold and stayed that way for several months. Well the roads were horrible. It had gotten so bad that there were pot holes in the ice. Travel was slow and treacherous. I had to go slow and watch every thing I did as I was driving on these roads. Besides the rough pot holed road, there were other drivers to worry about, curves to navigate, the worry of sliding off the road into the ditch and getting stuck. It became a long, tough several months of navigating those awful driving conditions. However, every day I continued to do my job, and at the end of this horrible winter, I had gotten done what was needed. It was a struggle but a successful few months.

As I thought about this story, I realized life can be the same way. Every day we get out of bed, we have a journey to travel. Sometimes it’s like the icy roads, full of potholes, curves, other people to work around, Satan to worry about, and the thought that we need to stay on the right path, though it may be slow going, so as not to end up in the ditch, stuck in the muck of life. These can be horrible times, however, even though it may be a struggle for a while, you will find the same success at the end of the “Storms.”

God says that He will never forsake us and that He will never leave us. If we believe in God and have the proper Faith, we can navigate the path of life much easier. Let the Bible be your guide to stay on the right path as you travel down the icy roads of life. So, grab your Bible, talk to God, and have a good journey!!

I’ve never had the opportunity to climb a mountain and at this stage and age of life, I don’t intend to!! However there are many that have and many more that want to and will. There are knolls, hills and mountains. For  this blog we’ll deal with mountains.

There is special equipment that is used and warm clothing to be worn. You need picks, ropes, harnesses, spikes or cleats on your boots so as not to slip, warm clothing, and good instruction from someone with experience. As you climb, you will encounter steep terrain and will need to secure yourself with ropes and harnesses in case you slip and fall. Once you have reached the top, you have a feeling of great accomplishment. It was in the valley where we prepared ourselves for the journey to the top.

Life has the same mountains to climb. You will encounter disappointments, short comings, job loss or failure, family struggles, low self esteem, depression, and sickness. As you climb the mountain of life, you will need special equipment. Books for learning, friends to stand by you in times of trial, advisers for your professional life to keep you on track, and family to lean on when things seem bleak. Use them as you would the ropes and harnesses in climbing the “Other” mountains. I’m not sure we ever reach the top of this mountain of life, but, we can keep striving to be the best we can. It’s in the valleys that we learn to cope and prepare ourselves for the obstacles and climb.

You will also encounter valleys to learn in and mountains to climb in your Christian life. However things seem to be much simpler in this climb. The only special equipment you will need is the Bible. When you are in the valleys and need help, God’s word is there for the instruction. As you climb the mountain of Christian success, when you get in trouble, instead of picks, ropes, and harnesses, just grab a hold of God. He is there for you whenever you need Him. Here, you will reach the top of the mountain and that pinnacle is Heaven. Grab your Bible and talk to God and have a good journey!!