During a happily unplugged stretch in the mountains this week, I ventured out for a small hike. Though the trail was steep, it was short, and the views from above promised to be terrific. 

The trouble was, the very first steps were across a quick moving creek – not a dangerous river, but for a non-swimming, not-super-graceful hiker like me, the space between the rocks looked too daunting to hop.

Eventually I found a path through a marshy area and worked my way through a delightful thicket of wildflowers to get back to the trail. Indeed, the views were worth the effort.

On the return trip, I missed the cutoff for my improvised swampy path and found myself back on the banks of the stream. Lo and behold, from the other side, the stepping stones were perfectly easy to navigate, big and steady and no leaps required.

Dear ones, what can we do when our first steps are full of adversity? 

Sometimes turning around is wise.

Sometimes a new path can be found.

And sometimes, the challenges are not as great as they first appear. 

We might just need a different vantage point.