I just completed a walking tour in Jordan via iFIT and my Nordictrack treadmill. It has been amazing to see how history in that part of the world intersects with the Bible, making God’s story more real and palpable with each step.

I learned just how valuable and important things like frankincense and myrrh were to the economy of the day; the importance of goats and lambs then and now; and how the natural lay of the land allowed for some of the most fortified and safe strongholds. Scripture about building your house on rock instead of shifting sand makes more sense as I got to see ancient structures carved into the mountains or built with stones still standing and often still used. So many places in this land where Jesus and his disciples actually lived and walked; where the Romans built their cities; and where King David, led by God, took back what was meant for God’s people, still stand today.

I got to walk in beautiful Jordanian deserts, step into the now dried up Dead Sea, and hike up mountains upon which God often met with the likes of Abraham, Isaac, and Moses; where the tombs of people like Aaron, Moses’ brother, still stand. It is so hard for me to imagine how so many people still doubt the Bible. As I listened to the tour guide refer to time periods as BC and AD—a system that has been used throughout the world for century upon century and that uses the birth and death of Jesus Christ as its very foundation—I wondered how people can still doubt the importance of this one “man” who walked the earth over 2000 years ago?

How can they not believe? There was no social media nor television to send out “fake news” to the masses? There were no newspapers or telegrams or even carrier pigeons. Even without my personal relationship with Jesus which waters my faith every day, the history etched in this beautiful land, would certainly get my attention.

But, perhaps, the most impactful moment I experienced during this 7-series walking tour that covered almost eight miles of hikes through this beautiful Middle Eastern land, happened at the very end as I stood atop the final mountaintop and looked down over the area that I had just traversed. As I stood virtually atop this beautiful mountain, sweaty and tired, joy overcame my spirit as I gazed upon the places from which I had come. I could see the other mountains and the valleys and the deserts that I had walked through—sometimes just barely trudging along—to finally arrive at this pinnacle vantage point where it all became clear. I could see in a breathtaking display why each step had mattered and why it was all worth it.

You know, I truly think that this is what will happen at the end of our life.

I can just imagine standing on Heaven’s highest mountaintop and gazing upon the journey which brings me to the physical place where I stand arm-in-arm with Jesus. From His vantage point, I imagine seeing every twist and every turn, every mountaintop, every valley, every dry spot, and every place of joy which I had traversed in my lifetime and every single one will suddenly make complete sense. Each journey mattered; each step had a purpose and that purpose was Him. Our life is all about Him and all for Him. It always has been, and it always will be. He is our Protector, our Comforter, and our Savior. He is our one, true love. For eternity.