The top of the mountain was shrouded in clouds, yet still we pressed on. The morning had dawned cold and clear. We'd started hiking just as the first grey streaks of dawn began chasing the stars from the sky. A breakfast of hot coffee and cold trail food now fueled our ascent. Watching the sun rising through the trees into a sapphire sky, the day had seemed full of promise.
But now the peak was invisible, hidden behind a dark, wispy, grey veil. We were above the treeline; nothing green grew here. The whistling wind was bitterly cold, turning every bead of sweat into an icy-cold drop. We were climbing on a scree of broken, grey shale, into a sky of swirling grey clouds. Each slippery, unstable step as much a matter of the will, as of the body.
Pausing for a moment, desperately trying to catch my breath, I half thought, half prayed "God, this is hard!"
I was going through one of the darkest, most difficult times of my life. Part of why I had decided to climb this mountain was to simply escape from all of that for a while. And standing there, halfway between earth and sky, God lovingly spoke to me, and gave me the key to persevere through both of those storms: The very fact that it is difficult, makes it worthwhile; If it were easy, it wouldn't be an accomplishment. If it didn't require anything of me, I wouldn't value it. If it didn't challenge me, I would never grow. If it didn't take me to the utter end of my own ability, I would never reach out to God for the strength to carry on.
In the very place I had ran to escape from my problems, God met me with the answer. Far above the treeline, He brought growth. While standing on a mountain, God gave me the key to survive the valley.
The day was full of promise after all.
Question: Where has God met you unexpectedly? What difficulties has he brought you through?
But now the peak was invisible, hidden behind a dark, wispy, grey veil. We were above the treeline; nothing green grew here. The whistling wind was bitterly cold, turning every bead of sweat into an icy-cold drop. We were climbing on a scree of broken, grey shale, into a sky of swirling grey clouds. Each slippery, unstable step as much a matter of the will, as of the body.
Pausing for a moment, desperately trying to catch my breath, I half thought, half prayed "God, this is hard!"
"Isn't that the point?"The answer was completely unexpected, disruptive, and ...perfect.
I was going through one of the darkest, most difficult times of my life. Part of why I had decided to climb this mountain was to simply escape from all of that for a while. And standing there, halfway between earth and sky, God lovingly spoke to me, and gave me the key to persevere through both of those storms: The very fact that it is difficult, makes it worthwhile; If it were easy, it wouldn't be an accomplishment. If it didn't require anything of me, I wouldn't value it. If it didn't challenge me, I would never grow. If it didn't take me to the utter end of my own ability, I would never reach out to God for the strength to carry on.
In the very place I had ran to escape from my problems, God met me with the answer. Far above the treeline, He brought growth. While standing on a mountain, God gave me the key to survive the valley.
The day was full of promise after all.
"I will never leave you, nor forsake you" - Hebrews 13:5
Question: Where has God met you unexpectedly? What difficulties has he brought you through?
This really touched me as I am going through one of the most difficult yet amazing times of my life. The pain is unspeakable and at the same time what I am seeing it incredible. I will not give up and I will not say it is nothing less than excruciating but I have moments of peace and joy that shock me to my core.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean. Treasure those moments of peace and joy, and remember them when the storm is raging again. These seasons are no fun, but you WILL come through this.
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