In May of 2001, Erik Weihenmayer accomplished something that only about 150 people per year do—reaching the top of Mount Everest. The thing that made Erik’s achievement unusual is that he is the first blind person to succeed in scaling the tallest mountain in the world. Erik was born with a disease called retinoschisis, and by the time he was thirteen he was completely blind. Rather than focus on what he could not do, he made the choice to focus on what he could do and went much further than almost anyone expected. Erik Weihenmayer’s autobiography is titled Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man’s Journey to Climb Farther Than the Eye Can See.

Many times we face a choice—will we allow obstacles to stop us, or will we keep pressing on regardless of opposition and trouble? It would be nice if following God meant that things would always work out well and people would always like us. The reality is that many times doing what is right requires overcoming obstacles. We should not expect constant smooth sailing, nor should we allow troubles that arise to convince us to quit.