What do you do when faced with surprising challenges? A recent trip to Zion National Park taught me some valuable lessons in persevering through difficulty.

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Don’t look down. Don’t look down.

These are the words I repeated to myself over and over on the Hidden Canyon trail we hiked in Zion National Park in Utah.

The Hidden Canyon trail is a path that takes you up about 1000 feet above the canyon floor. A trail that, at times, is only about a foot wide with a sheer drop-off to the side. A trail that I never would have believed I would climb.

If someone had described this trail to me and then invited me to climb it with them, I would have said, “No way. I’m not that daring. I’m not that brave.”

But we had heard that the hidden canyon at the top of the trail was worth the climb–and we didn’t know about the narrow portions where you were inches from falling hundreds of feet–so we started the trek up to the top.

As I was panting my way up this trail, I was struck by how what I was learning on the hike applied to life as well.

Life’s path often has surprising challenges. We aren’t often warned of difficulties up ahead. What can we do when our life suddenly seems as challenging as a mountain climb?

Here are three lessons I learned on the Hidden Canyon trail on handling surprising challenges:

1. Cling to the Rock. The Hidden Canyon trail had very narrow sections where you needed to hang onto a chain–attached firmly to the cliff–so that you didn’t fall off the foot-wide path.

When life’s path turns out to be more challenging than I anticipate, I need to hang onto the Rock of my life:

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

When life seems uncertain, I need to cling to the One thing that is sure and unchanging. When I’m afraid of falling, I need to hang on the One thing that will never fail–God. When I face challenges in life, I can grab hold of the One who will never let me down.

2. Stop and rest. Climbing up 1000 feet over the distance of one mile meant that at times I needed to stop and rest. My lungs demanded that I plant my feet and just breathe.

In life I don’t always pay attention to the signs that I need to stop and rest. I tend to keep plowing ahead when my soul is demanding that I simply stop and breathe. Even God knew we needed to rest, so He commanded a Sabbath:

This is what the Lord has commanded: “Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord.” Exodus 16:23

God commands us to take a day of rest–a day to stop and breathe in His grace.

3. Don’t look down. When I was on those very high and very narrow pathways, it was best not to look over the edge to the valley floor so far below. I needed to keep looking at my feet. I couldn’t even look too far ahead. I had to pay attention to the very next step.

I also get in trouble in life when I try to look beyond where I am right now. It’s easy for me to get anxious when I look down at all the possible things that could go wrong. Or to worry when I try to look too far ahead. I need to concentrate on what is happening right now. Jesus said:

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:34

So when life ends up being more challenging than you planned on, remember:

Cling to the Rock–the Rock of Christ

Stop and rest–breathe in His grace

Don’t look down–just concentrate on the next step