--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why should we live halfway up the hill…" description: "\"Why should we live halfway up the hill and swathed in the mists, when we might have an unclouded sky and a radiant sun over our heads if we would climb..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/alexander-maclaren-3410_climb_why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-a_1376182.png" --- # Why should we live halfway up the hill and swathed in the… ![“Why should we live halfway up the hill and swathed in the mists, when we might have an unclouded sky and a radiant sun over our heads if we would climb higher and walk in the light of His face?” quote by Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/alexander-maclaren-3410_climb_why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-a_1376182.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/alexander-maclaren-3410_climb_why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-a_1376182.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/alexander-maclaren-3410_climb_why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-a_1376182.png) > “Why should we live halfway up the hill and swathed in the mists, when we might have an unclouded sky and a radiant sun over our heads if we would climb higher and walk in the light of His face?” [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Climbing higher spiritually reveals clearer truth and divine presence. **In simple terms:** Seek higher truth for clarity. Key Takeaway Pursue spiritual ascent. Themes faith spirituality growth Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - Personal prayer - church sermon - spiritual retreat Key Concepts Divine illumination human aspiration Questions to Reflect On - What higher truth are you avoiding? - Is comfort worth spiritual stagnation? A Different Perspective Higher aspirations may be impractical or dangerous. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Hills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hills/) [Light](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/light/) [Mist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mist/) [Sky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sky/) [Sun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sun/) ## Related quotes > [There are times of great beauty on a coffee farm. When the plantation flowered in the beginning of the rains, it was a radiant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isak-dinesen/there-are-times-of-great-beauty-on-a-coffee-farm-when-the-plantation/) [Isak Dinesen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isak-dinesen/) > [I only wish to climb even higher during the rest of my career bc with the power of Team Grimmie, I won't stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-grimmie/i-only-wish-to-climb-even-higher-during-the-rest-of-my-career-bc-with/) [Christina Grimmie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-grimmie/) > [You are strong. Whatever this crazy thing called Life throws at you, you can get through it. It may knock you down a ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-strong-whatever-this-crazy-thing-called-life-throws-at-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There is a moment, climbing a tree, when you know you should climb no higher. A winnowing of branches the farther you go, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kosmatka/there-is-a-moment-climbing-a-tree-when-you-know-you-should-climb-no/) [Ted Kosmatka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kosmatka/) > [And still I'm not completely happy with my skating. I always feel I can do more and climb higher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oksana-baiul/and-still-i-m-not-completely-happy-with-my-skating-i-always-feel-i/) [Oksana Baiul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oksana-baiul/) > [As soon as we climb higher than those who had at one time admired us, we appear to them as though we have sunken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/as-soon-as-we-climb-higher-than-those-who-had-at-one-time-admired-us/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [...Dream big, reach further, climb higher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-burt-murray/dream-big-reach-further-climb-higher/) Angela Burt-Murray > [On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/on-the-mountains-of-truth-you-can-never-climb-in-vain-either-you-will/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [To see farther, you must climb higher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/to-see-farther-you-must-climb-higher/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The lower you go, the worse you find. If an idiot tries to pull you down, then your NATURE would be based on how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshansh-thakur/the-lower-you-go-the-worse-you-find-if-an-idiot-tries-to-pull-you/) Akshansh Thakur > [“The reason evolution bestows all intelligent life with a desire to climb higher is far more profound than more base needs, even though we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/the-reason-evolution-bestows-all-intelligent-life-with-a-desire-to/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [“it is the nature of intelligent life to climb mountains. They all want to stand on ever higher ground to gaze ever farther into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liu-cixin/it-is-the-nature-of-intelligent-life-to-climb-mountains-they-all-want/) [Liu Cixin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liu-cixin/) > [I fall, I stand still... I trudge on. I gain a little... I get more eager and climb higher and begin to see the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-keller/i-fall-i-stand-still-i-trudge-on-i-gain-a-little-i-get-more-eager-and/) [Helen Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-keller/) > [The path to God is rarely a steady climb upward. We climb, we fall back, and we climb higher again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-s-kushner/the-path-to-god-is-rarely-a-steady-climb-upward-we-climb-we-fall-back/) [Harold S. Kushner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-s-kushner/) > [Bring anger and pride under your feet, turn them into a ladder and climb higher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/bring-anger-and-pride-under-your-feet-turn-them-into-a-ladder-and/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) ## More by Alexander MacLaren > [If our faith in God is not the veriest sham, it demands, and will produce, the abandonment sometimes, the subordination always, of external helps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/if-our-faith-in-god-is-not-the-veriest-sham-it-demands-and-will/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [God keeps giving Himself as long as we bring that into which He can pour Himself. And when we stop bringing, He stops giving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/god-keeps-giving-himself-as-long-as-we-bring-that-into-which-he-can/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [As we look upon that agony and those tearful prayers, let us not only look with thankfulness; but let that kneeling Saviour teach us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/as-we-look-upon-that-agony-and-those-tearful-prayers-let-us-not-only/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Ah, my brother, it is a far harder thing, and it is afar higher proof of a thorough-going, persistent, Christian principle woven into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/ah-my-brother-it-is-a-far-harder-thing-and-it-is-afar-higher-proof-of/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [The cross is the centre of the world's history; the incarnation of Christ and the crucifiction of our Lord are the pivot round which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/the-cross-is-the-centre-of-the-world-s-history-the-incarnation-of/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [The grave has a door on its inner side.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/the-grave-has-a-door-on-its-inner-side/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Being in Christ, it is safe to forget the past; it is possible to be sure of the future; it is possible to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/being-in-christ-it-is-safe-to-forget-the-past-it-is-possible-to-be/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Do not let the loud utterances of your own wills anticipate, nor drown, the still, small voice in which God speaks. Bridle impatience till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/do-not-let-the-loud-utterances-of-your-own-wills-anticipate-nor-drown/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Man's course begins in a garden, but it ends in a city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/man-s-course-begins-in-a-garden-but-it-ends-in-a-city/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [The cup which my Saviour giveth me, can it be anything but a cup of salvation?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/the-cup-which-my-saviour-giveth-me-can-it-be-anything-but-a-cup-of/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Love is the only fire that is hot enough to melt the iron obstinacy of a creatures' will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/love-is-the-only-fire-that-is-hot-enough-to-melt-the-iron-obstinacy/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [If you want to live in this world, doing the duty of life, knowing the blessings of it, doing your work heartily, and yet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/if-you-want-to-live-in-this-world-doing-the-duty-of-life-knowing-the/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Faith is the sight of the inward eye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/faith-is-the-sight-of-the-inward-eye/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [Every sin is a mistake, as well as a wrong; and the epitaph for the sinner is, "Thou fool!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/every-sin-is-a-mistake-as-well-as-a-wrong-and-the-epitaph-for-the/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) > [True peace comes not from the absence of trouble, but from the presence of God and will be deep and passing all understanding in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/true-peace-comes-not-from-the-absence-of-trouble-but-from-the/) [Alexander MacLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) [Explore all 131 Alexander MacLaren quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/) ## More Climb quotes > [Normally, it's more efficient to climb fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ondra/normally-it-s-more-efficient-to-climb-fast/) [Adam Ondra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ondra/) > [Our ape legs make us great generalists - we can walk, run and climb. But when you try to do too many things at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-roberts/our-ape-legs-make-us-great-generalists-we-can-walk-run-and-climb-but/) [Alice Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-roberts/) > [“Climb aboard, Jonesy. I'm going to send you up where the air is rare and the view is much more than fair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/climb-aboard-jonesy-i-m-going-to-send-you-up-where-the-air-is-rare/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Sometimes you climb the mountain, and you fall and fail. Maybe there is a different path that will take you up. Sometimes a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caterina-fake/sometimes-you-climb-the-mountain-and-you-fall-and-fail-maybe-there-is/) [Caterina Fake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caterina-fake/) > [The bumps are what you climb on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-w-wiersbe/the-bumps-are-what-you-climb-on/) [Warren W. Wiersbe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-w-wiersbe/) > [Life is a climb and it's a struggle getting to the top but the drop to the bottom can be quick and so I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/life-is-a-climb-and-it-s-a-struggle-getting-to-the-top-but-the-drop/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [Some day I'm going to climb Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-hillary/some-day-i-m-going-to-climb-everest/) [Edmund Hillary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-hillary/) > [A part of me will always be unflyable, stuck in the climb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-wein/a-part-of-me-will-always-be-unflyable-stuck-in-the-climb/) [Elizabeth Wein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-wein/) > [Face your fears or they will climb over your back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/face-your-fears-or-they-will-climb-over-your-back/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [It is sometimes a mistake to climb. It is always a mistake never even to make the attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-sometimes-a-mistake-to-climb-it-is-always-a-mistake-never-even/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You have to climb a mountain before you can enjoy the view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/you-have-to-climb-a-mountain-before-you-can-enjoy-the-view/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [“Where I'm is one of those stair climbing machines the agent has installed. You climb and climb forever and never get off the ground.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/where-i-m-is-one-of-those-stair-climbing-machines-the-agent-has/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“There are points in your life where you find yourself going nowhere reaching nowhere, standing nowhere. You feel yourself a mess occupied in nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aquib-ali/there-are-points-in-your-life-where-you-find-yourself-going-nowhere/) [Aquib Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aquib-ali/) > [“Don't be afraid to start at the bottom of the ladder. And have the courage to climb to the top.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-hr-rosenthal/don-t-be-afraid-to-start-at-the-bottom-of-the-ladder-and-have-the/) Levi HR Rosenthal > [Dude, I just watched you climb up a f\*cking building!-Lace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-westerfeld/dude-i-just-watched-you-climb-up-a-f-cking-building-lace/) [Scott Westerfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-westerfeld/) Browse all 797 Climb quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Why should we live halfway up the hill and swathed in the mists, when we might have an unclouded sky and a radiant sun over our heads if we would climb higher and walk in the light of His face?", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander MacLaren" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-and-swathed-in-the-mists-when/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Climb" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-and-swathed-in-the-mists-when/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/alexander-maclaren-3410_climb_why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-a_1376182.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/alexander-maclaren-3410_climb_why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-a_1376182.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a66/alexander-maclaren-3410_climb_why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-a_1376182.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why should we live halfway up the hill and swathed in the mists, when we might have an unclouded sky and a…” — Alexander MacLaren", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander MacLaren", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-maclaren/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Why should we live halfway up...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-and-swathed-in-the-mists-when/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-maclaren/why-should-we-live-halfway-up-the-hill-and-swathed-in-the-mists-when/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```