Let me tell you about the time I climbed Everest.
I was surprised how easy it was. It's peak is 29,029 feet. Sir Edmund Hillary was the first to reach the peak in 1953. Many have died trying; high winds, exposure, altitude sickness, falls, and avalanches are some of the challenges they face. About 360 people take out permits to climb each year, but few succeed. The average successful climb costs $350,000 and takes 53 days. Well let me confess, the picture above is in New Zealand, and not Nepal. The truth is I did not even climb that mountain. I faced no danger on my climb and had no expense. Our office organized a voluntary climb equivalent to 324 round trips from the ground floor to the roof of our 6 story office building. It was climate controlled, there were no winds, no ice, no crevaces, and no avalanches. I enjoyed the challenge and was the first to complete the climb (probably because I'm working part time and have more time available then anyone else). Lately I've been facing some other scary mountains. I've really struggled to continue on the Journey. Ever been there? Just want to quit? Walk away? Not deal with the work, or the danger of getting hurt? I'm going to finish this climb. I'm going to try to keep in perspective any climb up Everest starts with a single step. I'm going to remember that the 40 year journey to the Promised Land began with a single step. Noah had to build the Ark but he started with a single board. I usually quote the Bible, but s famous ancient Chinese quote is "A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step" . Facing challenges? Take the first step, then another, then another .....
We recently toured the Ark Encounter. A one hundred million dollar replica of Noah's big boat. It's the largest wooden structure in the world and Noah began with a single board.