Taking the Uphill Hike

A few weeks ago, I wrote about my exhausting hike down Mammoth Mountain. Shortly after, a reader (Joe) challenged me, saying that it would have been a whole lot harder if I was walking up. Then, he said,

“Our culture has been traversing that downhill slide for many years, and apparently, it’s been a lot easier than doing the uphill trek.

He got me thinking of all the times I could have helped improve something in my little corner of the world—and didn’t.

Too busy. Too tired. Too complicated. Too (fill in the blank).

Then Joe mentioned a conversation with a friend who’d said, “God helps those who help themselves.”

I’ve heard that Biblical phrase for years. It always made me feel a bit self-righteous and smug. After all, I’m doing fine.

Yet the reality is, many who struggle have had a much higher hill to climb than I did. And we don’t make it easy for them.

Finally, Joe told me that phrase wasn’t from the Bible. It’s a proverb instead. And, that got me thinking. Like Bible verses and the sacred texts of other religions, they offer good advice to live by.

One of my personal favorites is, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

It reminds me to be grateful for what I have in life. But it also makes me realize that not all of what’s happened to me is because of my own doing.

I was born in the US, not a third world nation. I had good parents. I didn’t have to worry about feeding my children. I’m free to express my ideas. And so much more.

When I look at others who—through no fault of their own—have a tougher life, I have empathy. It could have been me.

The uphill hike is so much harder. Those who are on that trek need our assistance, support and understanding. And we feel better when we can have a positive impact, too.

That’s why I embrace the proverb about the grace of God. I hope you’ll join me!

P.S. The proverb “God helps those who help themselves” first appeared in Discourses Concerning Government, written by Algernon Sidney in 1968.

What proverbs do you to live by?