Mountains
Whether spirit, soul or body, growing and maturing is a process. There are no shortcuts in life. Believe me when I say that, because if there were, I would have taken them!
I have learned that you can’t go from the bottom to the top immediately.
Life is a process.
When you undertake to build something lasting, it is a process.
Of course, you can do something real quick by taking shortcuts, but it will not last, it will not stand the test of time. I have seen so many crumbling lives., marriages, businesses and churches, all started with the right motives, but because there was no proper and solid foundation they have crumbled. I am sure you can think of many instances where you know this to be true.
The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest. The first men to get to the top successfully were Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Since then over 1000 people have made it, but many have failed and some have even lost their lives. God doesn’t want you killed on the climb!
To get to the top from the bottom they had to go through a process. They weren’t going to do this in a day. One reason for this is, your body has to adjust to the thin air and lack of oxygen, in a short period of time.
Bernie and I were in Colorado one time and we went for a walk. Now we are fit and healthy, but after a few hundred yards we were puffing and panting. We wondered what what going on and then we realised the air at 10,000 feet above sea level was much thinner. Our bodies needed time to adjust before we could think of doing any strenuous exercise. We lived in Johannesburg for twelve years where we were 6000 feet above sea level. When we returned to Scotland in 1987 our lung capacity had expanded and we could do so much more. Now after twenty three years in the UK living at sea level our bodies are not used to thin air. Use it or lose it!
To get to the top of Everest, the climbers had to do it in stages. They went from lower camps to higher camps and sometimes they had to stay at camps for weeks at a time until their bodies adjusted to the higher altitudes. To discipline yourself for this climb takes passion, focus and determination. It is not for the faint hearted or the half hearted! Whatever the climb is is your life, you better know that you are up for it. Don’t tackle your mountain unprepared.
The view from the top of a mountain is always better. You can see past all the things that keep you down at sea level. This brings a new perception and renewed vision. One thing I enjoy so much about mountain climbing is the quietness and stillness around me as I get nearer the summit.
Maybe you need to take some time out and do some climbing. Start with a wee hill and build up. Climbing brings us closer to God in so many ways and gives us great satisfaction.
Life is so daily and it’s easy to get into a rut, (a grave with the ends kicked out!) but as we climb up the ladder of life remember that we are going on to higher ground.
Nan
