Meeting the Requirements

Bill and I spent a week with our friends, John and Lisa, at their mountain cabin in Blue Ridge, Georgia. John and Lisa are fun and easy to be with, so we were excited to take them up on their generous offer.

A month before the trip, Lisa called me to ask if we would do the railroad bikes with them. Railroad bikes? I told her that I had no idea what she was talking about, but that if she and John were doing it, we would too. She told me she didn’t really know what it was, either. So there you go-look at this crazy contraption! And, as it turns out, rail biking 6 miles was the most garden-variety, run-of-mill thing we did all week!

We tubed down the beautiful Toccoa River, we boated on Lake Blue Ridge, we hiked to a waterfall, we bought peaches and apple cider donuts at an orchard. For some reason that no one can explain, we walked right by a fudge shop and didn’t stop.

When I discovered the Appalachian Trail Southern Terminus was less than an hour from the cabin, hiking part of the official Appalachian Trail became a requirement. Ten years ago I watched A Walk in the Woods. The movie has some bad language, but it is laugh out loud funny. The story is about a 70 year old guy who decides to hike the Appalachian Trail before he gets too old to do it. Since retiring four years ago, I’ve been ticking must-do’s off my list, too.

The Approach Trail was strenuous, just like the sign promised. One and a half miles straight up, climbing over rocks and downed trees on a hot, humid afternoon. It was slow going for me, but I wasn’t about to let the old guy carrying a dog and wearing flip flops pass me up! The view of Amicalola Falls at the top was fantastic. The hike down included 604 steps! By the time I reached the bottom I was wondering why this hike was a requirement for me, and wondering why I didn’t even get to see a bear!

So, did I meet the requirements? With help from my husband (during the really rough spots), and my trusty Tervis full of ice cold tea, I did fulfill my dream of hiking part of the Appalachian Trail. But did I do all that God requires of me on our trip to Georgia? Hmmm…now that’s something I can only do with the help of Jesus. Scripture tells me in Micah 6:8 that God requires me to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God. I only know that I’m thankful that His mercies are new every morning.