The Hill That Taught Me Grace

It was one of those days when everything felt heavy. My spirit was tired, and I wasn’t sure how I’d make it through. That’s when a memory came to me, simple, but full of meaning.

Not long ago, I went for a bike ride. The sun was warm, the breeze gentle, and it felt good to be outside, moving my body and soaking in the beauty of the world. I rode freely, not thinking much about where I was headed, just enjoying the moment.

But as I turned to head home, I realized I’d wandered into a part of town that required climbing a steep hill to get back. I looked up at the incline and thought, I can do this. I gathered my strength, gripped the handlebars, and pedaled with determination.

It didn’t take long before my confidence gave way to exhaustion. My legs burned, my breath grew shallow, and I knew I couldn’t keep going like that. So I got off the bike, thinking I’d walk it for a while. But the moment my feet hit the ground, I nearly collapsed. My legs were weaker than I realized. I had no choice but to sit down and wait.

As I sat there, catching my breath and letting my body recover, I thought about how little strength I truly had, how I had assumed I could power through, but hadn’t accounted for the toll it would take. Eventually, I stood up, walked my bike a bit, and finally climbed back on to pedal the rest of the way home.

That ride became a quiet parable for me.

Sometimes in life, we find ourselves facing steep hills, moments that demand more than we think we have. We start strong, believing we can push through with just a little effort. But then the weariness sets in, and we realize we need to stop. To rest. To let grace do what grit cannot.

There is no shame in getting off the bike. No failure in sitting down for a while. The Lord doesn’t measure our worth by our stamina, He meets us in our weakness and waits with us while we recover. And when we’re ready, He helps us stand again, walk again, and eventually pedal forward with renewed strength.

Scripture Reflection

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Rest is not retreat, it’s preparation. Grace is found not just in the climb, but in the sitting still. And strength, when renewed by the Lord, carries us farther than we ever could on our own.