We all face problems, difficulties and challenges, don't we? And then we wonder how we're going to overcome and defeat these huge threats to our normal life. Instead of appearing as small hills or mountains to climb, they loom as our Mount Everest or Denali, our Matterhorn or K2. Their size alone can steal our hope, faith, joy, strength and courage and we may want to give up.
We face relationships being torn apart, illnesses and diseases that seem incurable, finacial mountains and losses of jobs that cause panic or discouragement. Our children stray and dreams shatter. We lose someone close to us and wonder how we can ever live without them. And we think about why we weren't spared the resulting pain while others avoid it and seem to be so much happier and satisfied.
Some of our mountains are in part our fault while others came from out of nowhere. We want to be overcomers but feel like losers with little purpose, meaning or direction. The good news is that mountains like these are conquered every day using principles that climbers employ all the time to climb their mountains of granite.
Gary and his wife Jackie have been avid hikers and climbers for decades but ran head on into a personal mountain when Jackie was diagnosed with stage three cancer just three months after climbing her first 14000 foot mountain in Colorado. Thinking she was going for a mere routine follow up visit with a specialist, the doctors told her that day that she had a tumor and stage-three colorectal cancer. At first their mountain seemed impossible and too big to overcome. However, over time they realized that the way to climb a personal mountain involved principles used in their actual climbing.
Never Quit Climbing tells their story and outlines the principles they found with God's help and direction to be the most helpful. They've shared this story and its principles for years but finally put it on paper. Here are some highlights.
For example, never climb alone. It's essential to have key fellow climbers with you when facing a personal challenge, tragedy or hardship. Another is to only focus on the next part of the trail. In other words, conquer one part of the journey at a time. Looking at a few switchbacks makes the mountain much more doable instead of concentrating on the summit. There's other practical help here like things to take or not take on your journey, how to pick your fellow travelers and what to do and think about after your climb is over.
Gary also addresses how mountains can help us grow, get stronger and be more fulfilled, happy people. NQC is filled with illustrations, stories, faith principles and practical ideas plus questions to make you think or use with others.
Who is this book for? Anyone facing a struggle that is too big for them. Parents, couples, singles, teens, seniors and those from wrecked relationships will find help here regarding how to deal with a troubled marriage, get through their grief, suffer through a job loss, respond to loved ones who are a mess and a host of other very real, very practical difficulties. NQC is a book you'll want to read more than once and will likely go back to a chapter here and there now and then to re-learn a strategy or two or face another peak.
And while the ideas presented have solid underpinnings in the Bible and a faith/God led life, you don't meed to be religious or have your own faith story to benefit from NQC, You'll be inspired and helped on your journey no matter where your climibing has taken you.