Not destroyed
Precarious, but breathtaking: hikers pause to enjoy the Blue Ridge vistas, November 2011
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (NIV)
It’s a bit frightening, being this close to the edge of suffering and death. It’s not territory we chose to explore, but even from here, the view is sometimes more beautiful than seems reasonable. I imagine that you, too, have been (or will be) in places you never sought, or situations you hadn’t planned. I hope you are able to hang on– perhaps gaining a new perspective that will illuminate your less dramatic pathways, and underscore your joy in happier times that surely lie in your future.
One year ago today:
It’s the heart
This post was first published seven years ago today. The original post, comments and photo are linked, along with two other related posts, below. These links to related posts, and their thumbnail photos, do not appear in the blog feed; they are only visible when viewing the individual posts by clicking on each one. I have no idea why, nor do I know how they choose the related posts. That’s just the way WordPress does things.
- Posted in: Uncategorized
- Tagged: beauty, courage, endurance, faith, hiking, joy, landscapes, mountains, nature, persistence, resilience, views
Defeat Despair 
Good morning, Julia! I had no idea there were views like that on the Blue Ridge!
I loved this phrase: “more beautiful than seems reasonable.” Although I can’t imagine what you were going through at that time, those words ring of a truth that would be difficult or impossible to describe. A fitting reply to second Corinthians.
Thank you, Susan. The Blue Ridge mountains are mostly known (to those who are distant) for those lovely “misty mountain” shades of blue. But as with all such justly famous iconic sights, there is a lot more than initially meets the eye. Yes, reading back through these posts, I’m slammed with mixed emotions, not least of which is amazement that Matt and I are still here, and doing as well as we are after all we’ve survived.
I am so glad you and Matt are here!
Thank you, Susan.