THE CLIMB

About a month ago I woke up singing, The Climb. http://youtu.be/jpTYG_Sqqdg Not literally singing, but singing the song in my head. More like Mikaylah singing the song. Like I couldn't wait to listen to it and kept thinking about writing a blog about it. Tonight I was talking with Amanda and she mentioned The Climb and she can't listen to it without crying and thinking of Mikaylah. So I thought, "There must be a message in that song." So here I am.  I keep asking myself why did Mikaylah love it so much for such a long time. She would listen to it over and over. I keep thinking there has to be a message in it.

I can almost see it.
That dream I'm dreaming, but
There's a voice inside my head saying
You'll never reach it
Every step I'm takin'
Every move I make
Feels lost with no direction,
My faith is shakin'
But I gotta keep tryin'
Gotta keep my head held high

Mikaylah had dreams... dreams of perfect health... dreams of graduating... dreams of marriage... dreams of kids... but so many times she would hear negative thoughts in her head that she couldn't make it, but the song says... "But I gotta keep tryin' Gotta keep my head held high." I can just see her listening to the words saying, "Yes I can make it, I can do it, just keep moving forward."

Guess what? She didn't know it, but by loving this song she ministered to me. I'm saying, "Every move I make, Feels lost with no direction, My faith is shakin'." But guess what? "I gotta keep tryin'." Maybe you are going through something that is shaking your faith and you feel lost, maybe it’s a broken relationship, a health problem, grief, financial problems, whatever it is, you gotta keep tryin' Gotta keep your head held high.

The struggles I'm facing
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down, but
No I'm not breaking

Mikaylah was not breaking.  She always wore a smile and when we were out she always wanted to do things herself.  Her lungs and breathing always wanted to knock her down, but she would not break.  And guess what I’m not going to break.  As sadness overwhelms me I will be strong.  I can learn from her life. 

There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

She did have to lose.  She lost the battle with her physical body.  I didn’t think it would be such a short battle.  14 years seems not long enough, but when it’s been your battle that is a long time.  The last year was a struggle, physically and mentally.  We all have to lose sometime.  In life losing her was me losing.  A big struggle for me and I’m sure this is not going to be the last loss I endure.  It will be the most painful and the most life changing, but it won’t be the last.  When mountains rise up in front of us there are only two things to do: climb it and go over or remain on the ground and look at it.  It feels safe to just stay on the ground, but in the climb you grow.  It’s painful to grow, to walk uphill, when walking up hill my legs get tired, my lungs hurt as I try to breath, some places that are rocky my feet may slip, but when we reach the top the view is beautiful and you feel tall like you are on top of the world. You can see the path that you walked and you can see the path down.  Things become clearer.  Well Mikaylah can see now!  She is with Jesus; she is on top of the mountain.  I can’t see the whole picture.  I’m just putting one foot in front of the other, climbing uphill!

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb

The climb was good.  Even last year along… family times, beach, Reno, Virginia, snowboarding, baptism.  So many things, she enjoyed.  So my life, all of our lives are about the climb.  What we do in life.

Keep on movin'
Keep climbin'
Keep faith baby
It's all about, it's all about
The climb
Keep the faith, keep your faith, woah

It’s like she is telling me not to give up, not to give in.  She knew I needed a message from her.  Because at times I am just so sad and when I think of her NEVER being here I have to just tell myself to think of something else, but I don’t want her death to be in vain.  I want to keep her memory alive by doing something in her honor.  Something that will keep going year after year.  I’m not sure what that will be, but I’m not going to stop thinking about it.  My life will count and she will never be forgotten.  Let’s all make a commitment to being the very best we can be, that in itself will keep Mikaylah’s memory alive.  She touched so many lives, how many can we touch?  If we were to die today, what would people say?  Would they remember us in a week, in a month, in a year?  I think Mikaylah touched lives in such a way that she will be remembered for life.