A popular quote from famous motivational speaker Zig Ziglar is "Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations." What a true statement! A few weeks ago, my family and I did what a lot of Michiganders do in the summer – we went up north to Alpena, Michigan to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery, lakes, and beaches and just relax. On the day we were scheduled to leave, I remembered I still had not seen one of the sights that I wanted to see, Ocqueoc Falls. Ocqueoc is the lower Peninsula’s largest waterfall and is also the nation’s first universally accessible waterfall. Noone else in my family was stirring yet, and we just had not made the time to work it into our schedule, but I still wanted to see it before we left this part of the state. So, I set out by myself on the 50-mile journey in the early morning in order to get back in time for us to leave for home.
For me, this was a bit of a challenge, driving by myself through a rural area for miles and miles. Along the way, it started to rain - not blinding rain, but pretty consistent, nonetheless. I began to have thoughts of turning around midway, thinking “What if my tires go out?” or “What if I get stranded out here"? I know this was fear talking because we had all of those issues checked out to the best of our ability before we left to come to Alpena. So, I kept going. With each mile, I kept telling myself, “You have come too far to turn around now and not see the falls.” After talking to myself, I finally made it, and it was beautiful! I was so glad I didn’t quit. It wasn’t an easy journey, but it was worth it.
Friends, we all come to those places in life where the road may not be easy, but the end result is beautiful and rewarding. Fear and doubt may try to creep in, obstacles may try to present themselves to hinder you, and distractions may try to divert your focus. But I encourage you today to keep moving forward, even if you have to talk to yourself. Keep moving toward your destination – it will be so worth the journey!