I see this life; Its valley's and mountains, and I think of all the roads that brought me here.
I've questioned my reasons, the life I'm living. I've questioned my ability to judge wrong from right.
I've questioned all the things that I've ever called certain: my race, my religion, my country, my mind.
But the one thing I don't question is you!
You really love me like you say you do
Hold me..
I've questioned significance, meaning and relevance... Does the work I'm doing really matter at all?
Well, I've questioned my friendships, alliance, dependence...
Who will still be here when I fall?
Only one thing doesn't change... only one thing stays the same!
All I know at the end of the day is your love remains.
The One Thing by Paul Colman.
_______________________________
Have you ever climbed a mountain before?
I have. No, seriously, I have.
In 2006, my uncle, Doug, took me and my two cousins, Reid and Eric, to Aspen, Colorado to climb Mount Elbert. This mountain is the highest peak in the Rocky Mountains, and is also the second highest mountain in the United States. The tallest mountain, Mt. Whitney in CA, is taller by only 65 feet.
This mountain is TALL.
And NOT easy to climb.
When my uncle got the three of us cousins together at Easter, 2006, he was pretty straight forward about the plans for this trip. He wanted us to climb the mountain, all four of us, together. Reid was going to Ecuador for school in a few months and this was a kind of "last hoorah" before we lost Reid and Eric and I entered our senior year. I was all for the trip. I didn't really anticipate what a huge task it would be to actually climb a mountain. I was just excited to go on a vacation to Colorado (favorite state, remember?).
We finally left for our trip right at the end of July, '06. The first couple of days were awesome. We stayed in a cute, lodge-y hotel in Snowmass (little village outside of Aspen) and finally the day before our official climb, we went on a little hike to get acclimated and prepared. Okay... I am SO not a hiking person. I learned that on this little hike we took. I have skinny little legs that get tired pretty easily, as it turns out. I felt pathetic behind my cousins and my uncle. They did it with ease, and I was panting by the end of it. I didn't know how I would possibly get through the following day. I was nervous, unsure, and feeling like I couldn't do it. I had that uneasy, queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. We went to bed early because the TRUE hike of Mount Elbert would take place the following morning at 7, so we needed to be up by 6 to drive there. Am I a morning person? No. Am I a morning person when I'm about to climb upward for about four straight hours? NO!
The three of us at the end of the little hike. I might look happy but I was putting on a mask to hide how I truly felt, I'm sure of it. Or maybe I'm just so happy to have my beautiful long natural colored hair that I still regret dying blonde.
Waking up for the morning climb was difficult and I barely slept the ride there. My uncle gave a little devotion before we started climbing and I barely recall the words. I was nervous and scared.
Climbing upward, at an altitude that you really aren't used to, is hard and difficult. Especially for someone like me who is unathletic. The task was great, but the accomplishment was visible for me and Eric, Reid and Doug with every difficult step forward. The weird thing about that climb, was that the more difficult it became, the higher we hiked, the more this verse kept replaying through my brain: (Phillipians 4:13) I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
I set it to a tune. I sang it over and over. I took in the beauty that was revealed the higher we went. I would have missed out on ALL this unbelievable scenery and incredible view. I knew God put this challenge ahead of me not to be weary of it, but to OVERCOME it, while also giving me unbelievable gifts along the way.
In the book Captivating by John and Stasi Eldridge, there is a chapter on God's kiss to his beloved. God wants to romance us and show us his "kiss"... He LOVES us! John Eldridge writes about how early one morning on a vacation near the ocean spending quiet time with God, a humpback whale jumped out of the water and made a HUGE splash. He described that as the kiss of God. Something so significant and unreal, something straight out of God's creation, given to show his romantic love for his people.
The closer I got to the mountaintop, the more I felt like I was legitimately going to pass out. Reid and Eric were FAR ahead of Doug and I. I was struggling with every step. It seemed SO incredibly close, yet so far. I had about 40 feet to go when Eric and Reid jogged down from the top to finish the climb with Doug and I. We finished the climb ALL together. It was incredible. Nearing actual exhaustion, I reached the top, let out a huge breath of relief, and looked around.
These pictures are pretty awesome, but don't even do justice to the emotions and feelings that I felt getting to the top of the mountain. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Everywhere around us, just mountain peaks. For what seemed to go on forever. I literally felt like I was on top of the world. And in a way, I was! I made it to the TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN and I felt like I could just reach up to Heaven and feel God wrap his arms around me out of pride. Ever since that day (and ever since reading Captivating) I consider the beauty of God's creation to be his kiss. A sunset, an eagle soaring, a starry sky, an old tree. That is all God's incredible work, all created for us, his kingdom, to enjoy and love!
The other cool part about the climb? I made it. I struggled along the way. I almost thought that I couldn't make it to the finish. But I kept going. Partly because I had no choice, but mainly because I knew the view at the top would be worth the struggle.
Do you ever wonder what it's going to be like when we get to Heaven? A life that is gone, an earthly life, full of sin, struggles, temptations, and difficulties, and yet for those of us who decided to choose God over ALL these things, we will reach the top and remember our struggles as being a part of the JOURNEY to the ultimate prize.
Sorry for those of you who think I am cheesy. But I am in a mood right now where I just can't shake the wonder of God. Through this experience of accomplishing something big, I grew much closer to my Lord and it is something that I will never forget. The fact that I got to experience it alongside my dear uncle and two of my cousins, who are actually more like brothers, makes it all the more amazing. We did it together.
God is so cool. He made the second tallest mountain in America and for those who choose to embark on the adventure, he gives you a pretty fricken' sweet view at the top, all worth the struggle of the climb. I can't explain how awesome it is to make it.
Here is a little snippet of the emotions we were feeling after climbing four hours to get to that top...
I'm not really sure why I paired this with the song lyrics I included at the top, but I really like the both of them together in one blog post. I LOVE that song by Paul Colman. It makes me smile.
Goodnight everybody.
1 comment:
Casey, someone left me a tip that you wrote this story. You are an amazing gift from God!!! Doug
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