My favorite way to exercise currently is to go for walks around my new neighborhood since we recently moved and the weather here is gorgeous right now. Nathaniel loves the stroller and being outside, so really its a win win situation. I have noticed on our walks that there are several hills in our neck of the woods, and I have taken to walking up and down some of them. When Nathan and I are out, cruising along, I notice that not all hills are created equal! (I know, I have WAY too much time on my hands...). There are two types: steep hills and gradual inclines.
The first type of hill is a steep hill. You know, that type that are even hard to get up in a car, but don't generally last very long? Yeah those one. This is the hill that I have commited to walk up and down once a day, weather permitting, and excluding Sundays. This hill is a beast to climb! It only gets harder as you go up too, but I always think, if I can make it past such and such a point things will level out, and all will be well! I will feel accomplished, and eventually, stronger!
The next type of hill is a gradual incline. The road right that runs in front of my house is one of these types of hills. The incline starts off slowly, and gradually increases until leveling off somewhere past my house. This kind of hill may seem easier to climb, but can be deceiving. It may not be steep, but you are constantly working from start to finish. There is not so much of a "once I get past this point, I'll be fine," feeling. Its more of a "I just past what looked like the top, and I'm STILL climbing? Oeuf..." type of feeling.
Where am I going with this you ask? I really do have a point, and it is this: There are two kinds of trials, or "hills," in our lives. (There are probably more than this, but these are the two types I have discovered).
The first type is the "steep hill" type. The type of trial where there is a very real and definite end. Sometimes you can even see this end! For example: "If I just make it through my finals and pass, I am in the clear and can move on!" Or, "if I could just get this fever to break, I would know that everything is going to be alright." Or even, "if I could just get this child out of me, I won't have to go through this again for a VERY long time!!!" You get my point. These trials consist of a short but intense struggle, with it becoming the hardest towards the end, and then almost instantaneous, sometimes immediate, relief.
The second type of trial is the "gradual incline" type. This type of trial is harder to describe... Examples: Having an autoimmune disease. There are things that will help you heal, but they take time to take effect, and you have to put in a constant effort. There is not such a definite end. Grieving for someone or something is the same. It is a constant battle, with a clear start date, but no end date. Only the knowledge that things can and will improve in time. With this kind of trial all you can do is your best on a daily basis; making sure you are doing the things that you know will help. That being said, you don't notice "the end" of your trial nearly as much as you do with the steep hill. In fact, you may have completely overcome the trial and not even notice until asked by someone else, or it is brought to your attention.
Regardless of what kind of trial it is, we all have trials and struggles that feel like up hill battles. The point I am really trying to make is that whether steep or gradual, our loving Heavenly Father provided a Savior for us and therefore, a way out! "...if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.
The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?
Therefore, hold on thy way ...fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever." Doctrine and Covenants 122:7-9
"34 Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail." Doctrine and Covenants 6:34
I testify that through the atonement of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we can overcome all things. Even death. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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