I've learned three things this month from our beautiful city with it's majestic mountains and rich valleys.
1. Sometimes you have to go to the top of the mountain to get away from the evil and pain down in the valley. These are times that we fill back up again and realize the greatness and beauty of God that is still present despite all the sorrow in the world. We were at the top of the mountain the day of the Walmart massacre. We had no idea what was happening down in the valley. God spared us from that. However, because we were blessed with this time of being replenished by His love and reassurance of His sovereign power, we were then equipped and called to go back down into the valley and sit with those weeping and mourn with them... but not without hope.
2. Sometimes finding and hiking the trails on the mountain is the way God reveals to you the right trail He has for you in the days and weeks and months ahead down in the valley. Sometimes he clearly tells you on the heights the work that He has for you down in the valley. On a recent mountain hike with a team member, we clearly heard God reveal a much greater vision for our city and the new trail we are to begin walking ahead.
3. Sometimes it takes a hard long hike to get to the top where you can see things clearly. We can get so caught up in the entangled messes in the valley that we just can't even see what the truth is anymore. Being on the heights helps us get perspective in our lives and where we have lost the trail that will lead to the destination that was our goal. It's just hard to see the trail clearly sometimes from the valley. It takes looking down and seeing the bigger picture to find your way again.
Hoping you will find some time to get up in the mountains and see what God has for you.
