“We Got This!!!”

June 3, 2025

A few summers ago, my family and I journeyed out West. While in South Dakota, Deb and I rented a Jeep and set off along the Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway, a breathtaking stretch of road winding near Custer State Park.

Peter Norbeck, a visionary and conservationist, was the ninth governor of South Dakota and a U.S. Senator. But his legacy wasn’t just in politics—it was in preservation. He championed the natural beauty of the American landscape and was instrumental in developing places like Badlands, Grand Teton, Wind Cave, and Custer State Parks. He secured funding for the carving of Mount Rushmore and believed deeply that beauty should be made accessible to all. One admirer once said, “He found great pictures in nature and gave them to the world.”

In 1919, Norbeck searched the Black Hills for a place to build a road that would bring people face-to-face with the grandeur of nature—forests, rock spires, streams, and wildlife. He didn’t sit behind a desk to design it; he rode horseback and traced the path himself. “I’d rather be known as an artist than a U.S. Senator,” he said.

But the route he envisioned was deemed impossible. The terrain was too rugged, the vision too bold.

Still, Norbeck didn’t waver. There was only ONE WAY to go—forward. And so, with two years of relentless effort and 150,000 pounds of dynamite, that road was carved through the cliffs and needles of stone. What emerged was more than a road—it was an experience.

Fourteen miles became “Needles Highway,” winding through towering granite spires and narrow tunnels. Seventeen more became “Iron Mountain Road,” with pigtail bridges and three tunnels that perfectly frame Mount Rushmore.

But here’s the thing—there’s only ONE WAY to drive this road: slowly.

Each tunnel fits only one car at a time. Each turn must be taken with care. The journey demands patience, attention, and a sense of wonder. As Norbeck once said, “To do the scenery half justice, people should drive 20 or under; to do it full justice, they should get out and walk.”

The road Norbeck carved mirrors the road we all travel in life. There is only ONE WAY to navigate it—with faith, with purpose, and never alone.

God promises, “I am with you always.” He doesn’t send us forward by ourselves. He walks with us, saying: “Together… We Got This.”

That’s the same reassurance Jesus gave Peter as he sank beneath the waves. The same promise that fueled Paul’s missionary journeys. When storms raged around him, Paul kept his eyes on Jesus.

In Acts 19, as Paul arrives in Ephesus, the power of the gospel begins to disrupt the economy of idol-making. People burn their books of spells and turn from worshiping Artemis. The silversmiths riot. But Paul does not back down. He doesn’t fear the unseen curves ahead or the voices telling him to stop. Like Norbeck, he refuses to believe the road is impossible.

Paul knows his path—there is only ONE WAY to go, and that’s forward with Christ.

In Acts 21, a prophet named Agabus warns Paul that if he continues to Jerusalem, he’ll be arrested. Paul’s friends beg him not to go. But Paul, with a heart set on God’s mission, replies, “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” He cannot be dissuaded.

His friends relent and say, “The Lord’s will be done.”

Paul’s singular focus echoes the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

Paul could have focused on survival—making money, building a life—but instead he focused on faith. He fought to keep his thoughts fixed in one direction: Christ. He fought to remain centered, to resist the pull of a world shouting for his attention.

Even in chains, Paul kept preaching. In prison, in courts, before kings and mobs, Paul stayed the course. And God spoke again: “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome” (Acts 23:11).

That’s God’s voice in our ears too: “We Got This.”

Paul later writes, “I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead…” (Philippians 3:13-14).

This is the ONE WAY life of faith.

But let’s be honest—our own roads aren’t always smooth either.

Many of us face:

·       Illness

·       Criticism

·       Uncertainty about the future

·       Grief and loss

·       Major life changes

·       Feelings of doubt or rejection

In those moments, don’t focus on the problem. Focus on the Problem-Solver.

Remember Paul’s words in Romans 8: “Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us… nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.”

When doubt creeps in and you start asking questions like: Does God really care? Can He really forgive me? Will He walk with me through this storm?, anchor yourself in the truth…

You are God’s child. (1 John 3:1; John 1:12; Romans 8:16)You are never alone. (Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 28:20)You are deeply loved. (Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 3:17-19; Jeremiah 31:3)

When today’s news shakes us and tomorrow’s fears weigh heavy, remember this is not the end of the story.

Revelation 21 paints the picture: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, or mourning, or crying, or pain…”

One day, we’ll see the road’s final destination. The sorrow will cease. The curse will lift. We’ll see His face.

Until then, like Paul and the early church, we press on. We remember Psalm 91: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty… He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge…”

Whatever twists or tunnels lie ahead, fix your eyes upward. Drive slowly. Walk carefully. Don’t go it alone.

There is only ONE WAY forward—and it’s hand-in-hand with the One who whispers to you today, even in the roar of life’s winds: “We Got This.”