I remember some years back taking the family up to the White Mountains of NH for a ridge hike from Mt Washington to Mt Jefferson. The scene of this day was painted by the Master Artist Himself with multiple colors of sunshine peircing through the puffy white cumulus clouds slowly floating by like someone daydreaming.

I have been hiking for years and we spent the prior year preparing the kids for this hike. Spent the day earlier that week at Eastern Mountain Sports making sure that everyone had the right gear for the adventure that awaited us all. I have to tell you that there was an excitement buzzing the air as the kids knew that they would be walking in the clouds some 6,288 ft (1,917 m) up. Not sure they truly grasped this, but nonetheless they were excited.

Because this was their first ridge hike, we decided to take the stage coach up to the summit of Mt Washington and start the journey at elevation. The air was crisp yet inviting almost energizing us at the core. We all left the summit traversing over the large rocks making our way down to connect up with the Gulfside Trail, which follows the Alpine Zone making its way along the ridge northward from Mt. Washington to Mt. Clay, Mt. Jefferson, Adams, and Madison.

Our first major point of interest for the kids was crossing the Cog Railway. The Cog is pretty cool! Old rustic steam engines accompanied by the puffing of coal-black smoke and loud toots of the whistle. The whistle, by the way, can be heard for miles into the Great Gulf Wilderness and to pretty much anywhere that’s within sight of the trains. Pristine mountain environment indeed!

We then skirted around the summit of Mt Clay and headed straight towards our destination of Mt. Jefferson. Stopping for  lunch for a bit to rest we pressed on. The summit of Mt. Jefferson was in sight and the kids at this point were starting to get fatigued and all of a sudden the unexpected happened, my daughter lost her footing and smacked her head on a rock.

Miles from any medical attention we leaped into action and stopped the bleeding, got the ice pack going and ran through all the necessary checks to determine the level of the injury. Thank goodness she was coherent and could stand on her own. The decision was made to get her back to the the summit of Mt. Washington for further medical attention. Here was the rub…it was miles and miles away!

About a half hour on our journey back, my daughter started crying again looked up at me and said, “Daddy, carry me!” With no other concern than to get my daughter to safety, I picked her up with all my gear still on and began the walk back with her in my arms. I have to tell you it took everything I had to do this, but it was one of my kids. I mean I would do anything for one of my kids, wouldn’t you?

So it got me thinking. If this is how I would respond to my own child, could you imagine how God, our Heavenly Father, our Abba would respond to us? His children?

Do you have this intimate picture of the loving embrace of our Heavenly Father?

When you’re beaten down by the realities of life, in pain, lost, hurting or just need rest do you reach up to Him and say, “Daddy, carry me”?

What are you waiting for? …run into His arms!!!