Climbing The Mountain

This summer has been somewhat of a hiatus from writing for me. As it turns out, it has been a good thing for me. I have spent time reevaluating my daily routine and where it is that God has me going. Sometimes we just need to spend some time alone in our walk with God figuring things out.

As the bible says, there is a time for everything. For me, this has been the case; there is a time to write and a time not to write. This summer was a time for me to begin to find the things of God to live out and not just write about them. Don't worry, I will keep writing. It’s just living out of service to others that gives me something to write about. This summer has been a time for God to show me all about how to approach the challenges in life.

In all our lives, we each are set before us challenges or as I like to call them, mountains to climb. What I have found is that it is not the mountain that we trip over in our climb but the pebbles on the way up the path. When a mountain is set before us and we are told to climb to the top we often do several things.

First, we stand and look at the mountain. We see how big it is and how high we will need to climb. Thoughts of discouragement come into our head and we let them enter into our heart. Next thing you know, we've turned around and walked away from the mountain, never to even set one foot on the trail to go up.

That mountain looms over our shoulder now. Instead of a challenge to be overcome, it is a remembrance of disappointment and sadness always sitting in the back of our mind. A constant reminder of our inability to overcome.

Other times we look at the mountain, start up the trail only to stumble a short way up. Maybe we get up once or twice after we stumble, but eventually, we come to the conclusion that the mountain just can not be climbed. It is too high, too hard. Maybe others have the strength to climb this mountain but not us. "Those that make it up the mountain are special. They have something we don't have. ”we tell ourselves. In the end we stand defeated by the mountain, refusing to get up and try again.

Sometimes, we start up the mountain with ease, trip a few times, picking ourselves back up when we fall. Then when we are almost to the top, we begin to doubt. "What does this mean for my life? Can I really overcome?" We tell ourselves. Then instead of pressing on we sit on the side of the mountain for a while looking for the courage to really reach for the top.

Here is what I have found in my journey this summer. If you don't keep climbing the top will always be out of your reach. In other words, stop looking only at the top of the mountain. Look instead to God to walk with you along the path.

As I take my mountains to Him, He tells me this. "This too Sherri, this too. I can give you what you need to climb this one too."

What mountain are you climbing today? God can give you what you need to make it to the top. You only have to ask.