Climb the Mountain of Faith

Life is like climbing a mountain. I am continually amazed at how many parallels to my walk with God that I can draw from climbing.

It is different for everyone. There are many different kinds of mountains. Some are just little hills. Some are Mount Everest. Some people climb a series of mountains- each one different and with its own challenges.

Foothills are at the base of the mountain. They are not hard to climb and have lots of interesting things to see. The scenery is beautiful…especially when you look up and see the mountains in the distance. Many people start out in the foothills. You can pick flowers, have a picnic, run around and skip rocks in the lake. You are able to rest and relax often. You can go at your own pace.

After the foothills there is that time when you step on to your first trail. You have usually packed for your journey…and think you have everything you could possibly need to set out. You have thought of every contingency. You have a choice at the bottom of the mountain. Do you start out with the steep trail…or go with the easy trail? Each one journeys up the mountain. There is no right or wrong answer. And they both will get steep and have their own challenges along the way.

Regardless of which trail you choose- often times you have to deal with the altitude changes. What looks to be an easy trail can easily tire you out. You become short of breath much easier than you would have thought. Drinking lots of water does help you adjust to the altitude…but sometimes it is hard to remember when you are concentrating on climbing the mountain.

There are lots of things to see when you are climbing. There are times when you are fully able to appreciate the beauty surrounding you. You notice every tree and plant and animal. You marvel at the wondrous creator who would take the time to create such intricate beauty.

Other times you have to concentrate really hard on each step you take. There is danger all around you and it is easy to loose your foothold. Ground that looks perfectly stable can suddenly give way in an avalanche of loose rocks. There is equipment that can help you along the way…but you still must pay close attention or you might fall and seriously injure yourself.

One thing that most mountain trails have are switchbacks. When you are hiking, it is often times too difficult and steep to go straight up. You need to wind around the mountain or follow a trail that goes back and forth. This helps you get higher up the trail without as much effort. It may seem sometimes as if you are going the long way…or not getting any higher at all. It is hard to see when you are on the trail how high you have gotten. Until you take your eyes off of the trail and look down. That is when you see all the ground you have covered.

Often times when hiking you need to rest. It is not smart not to rest and fill your tank with food and water. Sometimes on long hikes you will need to stop and sleep. Sometimes the weather gets rough and it is safer to stop and take shelter. None of these are bad things…in fact they are necessary things. Without rest there is no way to make it to the top of the mountain. But some people just stop completely. They get so far and just sit down and give up. Some people even go back down the mountain because it is too hard to go on. They never experience the joy of the journey. They only see the hardships.

Sometimes it does get hard to keep going. One thing I have realized is that hiking with others keeps me going even when I feel like I can’t go one more step. Time goes by faster when you are walking with someone else. Sometimes someone else can reach a hand out and pull you up…and sometimes you can do the same. Sometimes simply following in someone else’s footsteps is helpful. Sometimes climbing in community is the only way you will ever get to the top.

Sometimes when you are hiking the light suddenly goes out and you can’t see where you are going. I have noticed that darkness comes quickly on the mountain and sometimes you are unprepared. Sometimes it is helpful to light a headlamp and keep walking until you find shelter. Sometimes stopping right where you are is the only thing to do …and wait for the light of morning.

Sometimes you have spent 3 hours climbing the face of a rock…only to find out that there are no safe footholds where you are. Sometimes the only answer is to retrace your steps and start again on another path. Sometimes we make poor choices or think we can do something that we cannot. But sometimes when we think there are no footholds…all it takes is someone else to show you where it is. Sometimes it is just out of your reach and if you stretch a bit you can get it. Those kinds of climbs are exhilarating. It can feel like you have conquered the world when you reach the top.

There are those moments when you finally summit the peak of the mountain. You step back on the edge and look out at the beautiful world. You can see the rough parts of the trail that you walked through. You can see the thorns and branches that reached out and grabbed you. You can see that place where you thought you had to give up. You can’t believe you have finally reached the top. You are in awe.

Then you turn around and look the other direction. You see that you are only on one mountain. There are so many more mountains to climb in this range. You rest for a moment…and maybe even camp at the summit for a while enjoying your journey. Then you strap on your pack (somewhat lighter as you have discarded things you did not really need) and move forward. Because once you have experienced the joy and wonder of summiting the mountain…you can’t NOT keep climbing. Yes, there is a rush that you experience…but mostly it is the joy of the journey. It is the challenge of pushing yourself beyond what you thought you could endure. Those are the things that keep you climbing. Those are the things that keep putting one foot in front of the other.