Living in the Mountain West, we happily host nearly 25 million visitors per year from around the world. Tourists use their vacations to come admire the beauty of our landscapes and wildernesses. Boasting 5 national parks and 14 ski areas, along with scenic byways, Utah’s monumental cliffs, red rocks, canyons and mountains are some of the most unique and stunning views you’ll ever see.

But you know how it is. If it’s in your own back yard, you are often guilty of not exploring it. Like the man I met at church in Kauai, Hawaii who admitted to me that he hadn’t even been down to the beach in over 5 years!

Determined to do better than that, years ago I signed up for a three day yoga retreat. It was held in Zion’s Canyon and I felt mighty adventurous driving a van full of ladies down to stay in a beautiful home in the park, do some yoga, eat some healthy food, have some down time…oh yeah, and do a little hiking.

I had just finished speed walking a marathon a month prior, so I felt confident about the shape I was in. My strength and stamina were at their height.

When someone suggested that we hike Angels Landing, I asked a friend 10 years older than me if she had done it. She said that she had as a teenager and been furious at her boyfriend for taking her up there when she was only wearing flip flops. I thought, “Well, if she did it in flip flops, I can certainly handle it.”

At this point in the story, do me a favor and go Google Angel’s Landing Zions National Park. You need the visual. While on Google, note the 3-6 hours needed to complete the fairly strenuous hike. Also note that it is not recommended for children under 16, or those with a fear of heights. Never mind that there have only been 5 deaths in the 100 years since the park was established, this was dangerous.

I’ll save you the grueling details of how long it took to even get to the ridge. But then the real fun began as we grabbed onto the chains bolted into the rock and made our way up and out onto the precipice. Others were on their way back down and offered encouragement…when they spoke English.

The cliffs were incredibly narrow, steep, and high. Plus you couldn’t hug the wall…BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WALL! It was just another cliff to certain death.

Now I started to get mad. The monologue running through my mind went something like this:

“What the heck?

This is ridiculous. I had no idea it would be this tough.

I’ve never handled heights well. If no one was here, I’d turn around right now.

Will anyone notice if I get down on my hands and knees and crawl the rest of the way?

Don’t cry. Don’t you dare cry.”

That angry chatter took energy I didn’t have to spare, so I let it dissolve into continual, silent pleading with God for my life.

“Heavenly Father, please help me.

Help me be strong. Help me focus on taking the next step ahead and blind me to the mangling death that lays on either side.

Help me be kind to those who planned this hike and failed to prepare me for how scary it would be.

Help me finish it and return home to my little family who needs me.”

I’ll save you the suspense. I made it. The view was spectacular, and I did pop a pose for a photo. After I made it off the mountain--and the PTSD wore off--I was even a little bit proud of myself.

I have often looked back on Angels Landing and other adventures in life and wondered how it was accomplished. Was it my grit? My spunk? My determination?

Was it God lending me His grace? His strength? His encouragement?

In every case it turns out to be a beautiful combination of both.

It has been a combo of my works and His enabling power. A required mix of my own physical, mental, emotional or spiritual exertion, matched and buoyed up by His physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual support.

Ether 12:27 teaches us that Christ said “And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

This life is a team effort. And we can be teamed up with the most powerful individual in the universe, or we can go it alone. But He can’t make us do anything…because He is the ultimate respecter of our right to choose.

If we stubbornly sit at the base of the mountain, He will not scoop us up and gently deposit us on the top. Instead He patiently waits for us to gain a desire for the top. Then our weak and stumbling progress gives Him permission to guide, strengthen, protect, and cheer us on our way.

Isn’t it wonderful? The balance between the grit and the grace required in life?

When the struggle becomes too real, it might be time to check our effort AND our reliance on Him.

Delighted to have survived!