Erik Weihenmayer is used to facing challenges. He is one of only 150 people to have summited the highest mountain on all seven continents. Kayaked all 277 miles of intense whitewater within the Grand Canyon. Completed the Leadville 100 bike race in Colorado, where the 100-mile course sits entirely above 10,000 feet in elevation. Before all those challenges, he (gasp!) taught middle school. And … he’s been blind since he was a teenager.
When Erik gave the commencement speech to the graduating class of 2025 at the University of Arizona, he said, “The question I ask myself every day is, how do I climb when it makes so much more sense, it is so much easier to camp?” Staying put and being comfortable is definitely not Erik’s approach to life. He concluded his address to the graduates by telling them, “I do not wish you a life of comfort and prosperity, a life of camping.
“Instead, I wish you a life rich with adversity. Adversity that sculpts you, that stretches you, that tests you, that pushes you to reach just a little bit farther.” For Erik, his blindness could have been a limiting factor in his life. But he did not allow it to define him, and now inspires many through his nonprofit organization No Barriers USA (motto: What’s Within You is Stronger Than What’s in Your Way).
The night before Jesus was crucified, He gives the disciples some parting words of wisdom, a commencement speech of sorts (John 14-16), before they head out into the world without Him. He concludes by telling them, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NLT).
The disciples had plenty of issues to overcome, just like we all do. Peter spoke impulsively and acted like a coward when he denied even knowing Jesus. Matthew had a history of collaborating with the despised Romans. James and John displayed selfish ambition by asking to be prominently seated in heaven. Thomas doubted. All of them exhibited weak faith and a lack of spiritual understanding.
We tend to focus on our limitations and use them as an excuse to camp. But Jesus expects us to climb, to move forward, to stretch, and to embrace challenges because they represent an opportunity to grow spiritually and lean on Him for stability. He is stronger than the barriers in our way.
So, are you camping or climbing?
Photo credit: University of Arizona
Be First to Comment