Vacation Reflections Part 2

This was my first time in the Rocky Mountains. The only other time I have ever spent in any mountains is when I was in the Holy Lands a few years ago. I have noticed something about mountains that was even more apparent in the Rockies on this trip. As you drive up the nineteen mile trek to the summit of Pike's Peak you travel through a few different climates. At the start of the road where you pay your fee to climb to the summit you are 7000 feet above sea level. At this point the temperature is nice, maybe even a little warm. But, here the river is flowing the air is warm, plants and trees are growing there is life happening. As you make your way towards the mountaintop you pass through different regions. We went to a subarctic region and an arctic region. Passing through each region it seemed to get colder and what was able to grow in each region seemed to get less and less. The higher we climbed toward the mountaintop the less green stuff we saw and the rockier it got. We travel up above the tree line. Nothing was really growing in the altitude and the cold climate of the mountaintop. When we reached the summit it was cold and rocky. The summit at 14,110 ft above sea level provided us with a great of the journey that we had taken and it allowed us to see further than we had ever seen before. But, it was not a place that we could stay. The road closes at 7:00 and everyone must return to the valley. In fact, as breath taking and as wonderful as it was, we could never live there. Life cannot be sustained on the mountaintop. Nothing grows in that climate and at that altitude.

All of the growing happens in the valleys. Life takes place down in the valleys. We have those mountaintop moments in life that help us to see the journey we have come from a new perspective and to see further than we ever seen before. We have those mountaintop moment with Christ and they enable us to go into the valley and live and to journey to the next mountaintop. Our growth through the valleys leads us to mountaintops with Christ. New perspective. Richer fuller life. Streams of living water running through us. Deeper love. Deeper commitment.

Jesus took three of his disciples up on a mountaintop and there he was transfigured and they saw him in all his glory. They also saw there with Jesus on the mountaintop Moses and Elijah. Peter wanted to build tents and stay there but Jesus told them they needed to go back down the mountain because that is where live happens.

Don't get discouraged in the valleys of life because that is where growth happens. Keep journeying to the next mountaintop. Draw on the energy of your mountaintop experiences to lead you through the valleys and give you new perspective on the journey.

Love today.

In Christ's love and mine,
Doug