Climbing mountains...

I had amazing group meeting tonight. I meet once a week with some incredible women. I am so grateful for this blessing in my life.
Today we talked about mountains. Well, sort of. We talked about how we often come to mountains in our lives, and we want to sit at the bottom and complain about how tall and rocky and slippery they are, and then we promptly ask Heavenly Father to remove them because they would just be too hard to climb. The truth is, they are hard to climb. Sometimes, even impossible--that is, to climb them on our own. The mountains in my life, and I'm sure in everyone else's, tower over me and cover me in their never-ending shadow of darkness. I feel like I want to quit when I look upon them--just give in and give up. A lot of times, that's exactly what I do. But there is a way to climb these mountains. It is a beautiful, tender way, filled with peace and light and truth. The way is grace. The way is Jesus Christ. He will rarely move the mountains for us, but He will help us climb them. He will take our hand--or both of our hands if we can't even muster to lift one--and he will lift us up. He will help us take each step. He knows how hard it is. He knows it is painful. He knows that I am exhausted and that I don't want to climb anymore. But He asks me to put one foot in front of the other and assures me that He will be by my side. He will push from behind; He will pull from the front; He will grasp my hand by my side. All He asks is that I have the desire to continue moving and that I humbly ask for His help. But even when I lose the desire, He is right there waiting, pleading for me to try one more time. He assures me that there will be places to rest. He will fill my cup with water and feed me along the way. He will hold me in his arms and caress me as I rest--as I take deep breaths and ask for courage to begin again. He will instill in me courage. He will endow me with strength. He will fill me with peace. He will surround me with love. He will embrace me with grace.
I am ever so thankful for grace. I am thankful for the reminder tonight to not give up but to keep climbing. He is with me, and He will be forever.
He is my Savior and yours.
Keep fighting.
Keep climbing.
He is with us.