God gave me a very practical vision of what my spiritual journey looked like as I was going to visit my daughter in Southern California. In order to go from the Valley where I live to where my daughter lives one must go through mountainous passes called the Grapevine that climbs from 400 feet to about 4200 elevation. Its a arduous journey and lasts about an hour and a half. God revealed a lot to me along the way. I hope you enjoy the journey with me because I did. So here goes.
  • Bottom of the grapevine 400 feet, Base Camp : I filled up with gas, went to the bathroom and got coffee.
  • I started up the Grapevine …very steep grade, people cutting in and out in front of me. They did not have enough momentum for the climb and they slowed me down. People who do not have enough momentum can slow you down in your walk with Jesus.
  • People not paying attention and floating into my lane, trying to distract me from my climb.
  • Dangerous: If you are not paying attention, you could get in an accident and get taken out.
  • Rest stop at the beginning of the climb… you can get distracted by getting off and wasting time getting back to the climb.
  • The elevation leveled out and I was able to get my speed built up. Jesus uses the flat areas of life to get momentum flowing into our spiritual lives.
  • Then another tough climb; stressful, long.  Lots of twists and turns. Our walk with the Lord is not straight and easy at times.
  • People going way too fast pulled over by police. Sometimes Holy Spirit needs to slow us down for our protection and growth.
  • Break downs, if not prepared for the climb. The climb shows what is inside you. Did you prepare for the climb? Is everything in working order? Did you get a good tune-up before the climb? Did you spend time with Holy Spirit?
  • Slowing down, crawling up the hill. Stop-Start. Everyone is cutting everyone off self interest What is your focus on? You or God?
  • Go again, stop again, on and on it goes. Our walk with the Lord is not a fast race to the finish line. It is a lot of stop and start walking with the Lord. He is never in a hurry.
  • I got angry and mad when people crowd in and don’t move fast. Again what is inside of you will come out.
  • Motorcycles speeding by or those with 2 or more people in a car move faster than those of us going it alone. Some people move faster than others, especially those traveling with someone. Don’t compare yourself to others journey it is with you and the Lord.
  • Hot and uncomfortable.
  • Kept moving at a crawl…So what if it is slow…don’t stop or quit! Keep the momentum going!
  • Weather hazy, sunny, foggy, ugly. Different types of weather. The journey is not all sun shine and roses.
  • Altitude adjustment-ears popping physical changes uncomfortable. Walking with Jesus can, at times, be exhausting and other times exhilarating. With Jesus, it’s all about the journey with you.
  • Pot holes in the road not smooth and easy…Start-Stop-Crawling. Don’t quit. It’s all about the forward momentum,  attitude and processing our journey with the One that loves us the most, Jesus!
What God showed me as I climbed higher in my walk is that it is not always a smooth road or easy. It’s an adventure with God filled with lots of twists and turns. The challenges of this life are not always easy and it’s hard to see the beginning from the end but God sees the end. He has a very special journey for each of us to travel with Him. Our job is to never quit but to keep the momentum going and trust God, who knows where we are going. As I climb I get to experience the beauty of the climb, building new muscles and enjoying being with my best friend, mentor Jesus.
Gabriella Pappas
The Warrior Commission Member
Go to thewarriorcommission.com to find our more about The Warrior Commission, our warrior training in relationship with God, Identity and our passion in intercession.