Living a life with Jesus requires us to go through many things that, if we’re being honest, we'd rather skip. Following Jesus means we may be led to do things were never thought possible or places we never imagined we’d go. As Hebrews begins to make its way to a close, the author includes three different images about the experience of living as a Christian: walking a straight path in pursuit of righteousness, running a race that will require endurance, and accepting loving correction from our Heavenly Father when we stray or slow down. All of these provide an honest, fuller picture that tempers our expectations of what it will be like to be a Christian before Jesus returns or calls us home. We may not enjoy life’s difficulties, but when we look back, we will likely find that the seasons that kept us up or brought us to tears are often the seasons in which we experience great spiritual growth. We know this to be true anecdotally, but this truth is perfectly modeled in the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ. May we keep that in mind for whatever lies ahead.