Switchbacks are a series of zig-zag trails that “switch” back and forth up the side of a steep mountain. They increase the distance, but reduce the amount of effort required to reach the peak, thereby making a difficult or dangerous climb manageable.
A journey with God is frequently filled with complex switchbacks. While we may know the general direction He wants us to go, the expedition often takes longer and is more complicated than we could ever imagine. The route we might think is best and most direct, He knows would be too difficult and dangerous to be traversed easily. Even when it may appear to us to be going in the wrong direction (and taking far too long), we must learn to trust God’s sovereign love and patient watchcare, knowing that He will guide us perfectly up gentle slopes to reach His glorious summit.