I cannot always find the path,
Sometimes there isn't any,
Often I must start from scratch,
And the hindrances are many.

Rocks  and stones are in the way,
Sometimes I go around,
Some I can crawl over,
I kick others from the ground.

Brambles are a nuisance,
But if I touch enough,
They're just an inconvenience,
For my skin has grown tough.

I ignore small cuts and bruises,
They happen all the time,
They may halt me for a moment,
Soon I resume my climb.

Sometimes friends climb with me,
I'm more often on my own,
Should I trip and hold them up, 
They leave; I go on alone.

If I slip, and I do often,
I may sit down and cry,
Eventually I get back up,
Give it another try.

Sometimes I move in circles,
I just go 'round and 'round,
I don't make any progress,
In fact, I may lose ground.

Struggle - struggle - struggle,
At last I reach the crest,
I laugh aloud - no longer cowed,
And I have found success.

My satisfaction is short-lived,
As I realize I'm not done,
For there looms another mountain,
And it's a bigger one.

As long as God will go with me,
And will let me take His hand,
I vow I'll keep on climbing,
'Til I reach His Promised Land.

~ Virginia Ellis ~
© and used with permission
Ginny's Place