I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where

        does my help come?

My help comes from the LORD,

   who made heaven and earth.

                      Psalm 121. 1-2

(As one of the psalms of ascent,

this passage does not imply

       looking over a beautiful vista,

but the impossible mountain,

           sheer cliffs,

           and steep slope before me.

How do I approach it?

How do I navigate it?

How do I endure?

We all struggle with something.

But where I seek help

   defines the journey and outcome.

God grants me help

            step by step,

seeking Him

     and moving forward

     in His strength,

               not our own.

Take one step

    and the next will emerge.

And in the process,

others are encouraged

             to trust Him too.

How we approach this ordinary day

         or degree of difficulty

directs us to Him

and points others to God

   who are watching us

   on the side of the path

to see not if we are successful

    but faithful to Him.)

O LORD,

May Your strength be revealed

    not just to us,

but to all those around us.

How in the world

        do we ascend these hills,

   if not by Your strength?

Our help comes from You.

May we never forget that.

Whatever it may be,

conquering the mountain is not

                 the point,

but trusting You.