Despite the way I felt and how my body screamed at me for pushing it beyond its limits, I told myself that I could and would make it, no matter the cost. I was willing to lay everything down, including my pride, to do what God put in my heart to do. Unbeknownst to me at the time, there was a ram waiting in the bush, so to speak.

Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.” Then the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the LORD, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son—blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies.
Genesis 22:2, 12-17

I began to encounter “angels” on the path. Random people came along offering encouragement.

You’ve got just a little bit farther to go. You can do it.

Keep going. You’re doing great.

Just keep going and you’ll reach a vista point just before Sub Dome where there are some spectacular views. You’ve at least got to make it that far. It will be so worth it.

I’m all about spectacular views and my camera was ready to take hundreds more pictures. I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if I’d turned back before getting to that vista point. I decided I had to at least get to that place, however far it was.