Traveling a path for the first time seems much longer than second, third, or even tenth time.
Two weeks ago while visiting friends in Idaho; we had the opportunity to hike Craters of the Moon in the evening. While driving, we came across a historical site called the 17 Mile Cave, so we decided to explore before continuing with our plans. After a few short steps inside the cave, we needed to access our flashlights. The lava tube was pure black, the deeper we walked the darker and colder it seemed to get. I paused and turned around to look behind me only to find pure blackness. We walked for a long time, at least it seemed that way when in reality it was only ¼ of a mile.
Fast forward an hour later, we began our hike at Craters of the Moon right around sunset. We walked around a beautiful site of a large field of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush. Soon after starting our hike, again, we required our flashlights. The trail was 1.7 miles each way but it seemed much longer as we trekked towards the end. The hike and the experience were surreal; the site was breathtaking even in the dark as we stepped on crusty grounds and explored the trails and caves.
Both experiences were dark and cold at times. Both seemed very long in the beginning but shorter as we trekked back the familiar path. Much like the roads we travel in life. Often when we embark on a new journey, we walk a new path, we make a decision that alters our life course, or even when we face a life storm, the initial walk seems long, almost endless; dark, cold, and even lonely at times. But once we pass through and look back, we realize the journey wasn’t as long and painful as we made ourselves to believe. We also realize that we are stronger than we give ourselves credit for and more capable of walking any path because victory is waiting for us.
