For the mountain climber it’s all about the summit. Get to the top, be the first, or at least among the elite few, who accomplish the mission. The exhilaration of being on the summit is what draws people to make the climb, to the point they are willing to put their life at risk.

And yet, there are those who live for this kind of thrill apart from literal mountains. For some people, the “summit” is financial independence. For others, professional recognition. And for still others, the exhilaration of the spiritual experience.

When it comes to the exhilaration of the spiritual “mountaintop experience,” I’d be the last person to suggest they don’t have the potential to bring special joy and delight to our lives. At the same time, what if, in our desire to “get to the top” we actually miss meaningful healing, hope, or restoration that awaits us on our journey to the next peak? Given the reality we must pass through the valleys and the plains, why is it we allow ourselves to become annoyed, resentful, or bitter that we must endure the hard places?

Don’t get me wrong—I’m not anti-get-thee-to-the-the-mountain-peak, literally, or from a religious perspective. What does make me sad is to see people so consumed with “feeling high”, in a spiritual sense, they overlook or miss the countless blessings and insights God has for them amid the struggles and steps leading to that high place of breathtaking awe and beauty.

You don’t have to lived long to know the path can be strewn with thorns, brambles, and potholes with names like financial loss, broken relationships, or failing health. The idea of such misery and suffering can be more than enough for us to try to race ahead as fast as possible. Blessings? Nonetheless, the truth is, many of us can give witness to the good produced in the throes of the difficulties.

For example: a health issue that keeps you in bed for weeks may be the opportunity to rest and consider what God really desires for your life. A job demotion may mean you realize you need to change careers. A difficult relationship may mean it’s time to let go and move on, or it may be the perfect opportunity for you to make the choice to be more compassionate and kind.

“But,” I hear you say . . . “who in their right mind wants the yucky stuff. What do you mean blessings in the struggles?”

It’s not a matter of wanting or not wanting the yucky stuff. It’s a matter of accepting the fact that being on the summit in any aspect of life is brief. Even those mountain climbers who wind their way upwards through ancient gnarled roots, clamber over huge piles of razor-sharp rocks, or tightly grip rods of steel planted in ice know that when they reach the top, the visit will be momentary as they will then have to descend to the base.

So, how do we find more joy and blessing as we press through the hard places?

Let it be okay to be human. Let it be okay to think and feel our way through the yucky stuff with all our emotions, feelings, questions, and doubts. No, I’m not suggesting we let our feelings call the shots, however, it can be most healthy and helpful to express them in a way God can make use of them to care for us along the way.

For example: be angry and sin not.

“But,” I hear you say . . . “that was easy for Jesus to say. HE was the Son of God, after all.” True. However, the greater Truth remains—we who call ourselves Christians have not been left to fend for ourselves on our journey through this life, hard stuff and moments of exhilaration included. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide our footsteps.

A dear friend of mine is quick to say, “I’m more than ready to meet Jesus. Anytime would be fine.” I respect that perspective as this person is neither senile nor intent on self-injury, however, for the Christian who sees death and resurrection as the final climb for the ultimate “summit experience” [the promise of God in Scripture], we also need to be careful such thinking does not become a great temptation to miss all the blessings God desires to shower upon us until that moment arrives.

Am I so focused on the summit I miss the everyday parts of the journey?

What do I need to change to discover the blessings in the yucky stuff?

Could I let it be okay to be human?