A few years ago I was reading a book by an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker when I came across a term I had not seen. His sentence was something like this: “It was a frustrating day of hiking, taken up mostly with P.U.D’s.” I was stumped.
It turns out that P.U.D. stands for “pointless ups and downs.” A hike begins in a valley, crosses a mountain or two, but ends up on the same level. Or you begin near a crest, traverse a couple of valleys and an intervening mountain, and at the end of the day you are at your beginning altitude. Either way, the trail has wound roller coaster-like up and down in a repetitive, “pointless” way.
The term is used frequently in long distance hiking blogs, and reminds the reader of the psychological difficulties of that challenging sport. It is not enough to be physically fit. You must be mentally tough as well. At times you must scale heights only to get back to your original flat lands. But are these ups and downs truly pointless? In a word, No.
First, they would be pointless only if they did not find you moving forward, but they do! While the elevation aspects may be frustrating, you still covered the miles and you are that much closer to your goal.
Second, they are hardly pointless if you are bent on enjoying the scenery and the experience of being outdoors. Part of the ups and downs provide the trip with variety that makes hiking both fun and worthwhile.
Third, they are not pointless if they are contributing to your overall health. It is in the climbing that we use the most energy and grow the greatest stamina.
You probably can see where this is going. We all have spiritual P.U.D. experiences, too. They take the form of “accidents,” job losses, betrayals, health setbacks, and financial hardships. Once beyond them, and back at our previous level, they look pointless.
But they are not. Nothing in the life of a believer is pointless. Nothing is wasted. For it is these very challenges that move us forward, keep us alert, strengthen us, and transform us into fruit-bearing Christians. For us, no experience is wasted, for the Lord can and does use any and all of our experiences in conforming us to the image of His Son.
“And we know that for those who love God
all things work together for for good,
for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28