Road to Freedom

“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.” —Nelson Mandela

It is easy to get discouraged when we’ve come so far only to find even more hills looming before us. We will never reach perfection, here on earth. In this life, there will always be more to surrender, more to learn, more to heal. That knowledge can be overwhelming at times.

But, with more work comes more reward. If we’re only focusing on the rocks, boulders and exertion ahead of us, we risk missing the best part of the journey. With each labored step we are gaining more blessings—more freedom; better relationships, more peace of mind. Each new hill will provide a more fulfilling and abundant life than the one before.

We were drug to the base of that first hill by the consequences of our addiction, fighting and kicking all the way. We hated that we were being forced to take this journey. We might have started out angry, depressed, or feeling picked on, but, as the climb continues and the view gets better and clearer a change will begin to happen and we will actually begin to look forward to what we’ll find around the next bend and beyond the next peak. That is the push and pull of recovery.

“…Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 3:13b—14