Climb Higher

We just returned from a wonderful family vacation in the mountains in North Georgia. Our first day we decided to tour a few of the popular hiking trails and we landed upon some beautiful waterfalls and landscapes where it was impossible to believe there isn’t a God. The landscapes of His creation are overwhelming! 

Every time I stood in front of those rushing waters, rumbling down the side of the mountain, I thought about God and His amazing power and might. He spoke the mountains into existence and with the same voice told the waters where to go..... if you have any doubt in who God is, take a hike up a mountain. 

The hike up is hard, but worth the view from the top. If I would have stayed in the car, given in to many of my excuses and chosen not to climb the mountain I would have missed the experience of the mountain top. I may have heard the rushing waters from the bottom and even experienced some of it’s left over, puddling around my feet in the pool of water at the base of the mountain...but I would never have seen it’s origin. I would never have been able to see the might and beauty of it’s entirety. 

When we stop climbing we miss the view. When we stop climbing we forfeit the beauty. 

The climb to higher ground is a spiritual one, though some physical work may also be required. The climb is rough and traveling light is necessary. We didn’t take much up the mountain, a bottle of water, bug spray, of course the camera phone to capture these awesome pictures. Oh and one of the kids may have had a pack of gum in their pocket but nothing more, because traveling light was a priority. We needed to conquer ground, quickly. 

Traveling light on this road of life will require us to let go of the past, and let go of other hindrances to our progress that weigh us down. Burdensome thoughts, negative thinking, the desire to control things we can not change...these heavy things don’t help us to climb, they keep us sitting at the bottom of the mountain, wishing we could be at the top. 

When you decide to climb you resist the urge to listen to the whispers of the doubting spirit that try to talk you out of the “hard work”. Instead with every level higher, you renew your mind and encourage your spirit. 

Torrey and I picked up the rear for most of our trip up the mountain (that means we were in the back, ha). I should note we are at least 25+ years older than our company of kids and their friends and that would have been a good enough excuse, but age didn’t stop us either. We changed our attitude and we started to "think" like we were 25 years younger, we encouraged one another (YOU need an encourager in your life!), and we believed we could do it. Oh friend I am so glad we did, the view was worth it.  

The experience was unexplainable, never could the others have put into words what they saw, we had to take the challenge to experience the climb for ourselves. 

The experience you forfeit because you decide not to climb can never be articulated to it's full capacity by others, you must get up, get going and experience the climb for yourself. 

There's so much more ahead for you beyond the valley. Yes the christian is required to go through the valleys but we are also encouraged to walk out of them. How? Renew your mind, mature your thought life, and change your attitude. Encourage yourself and those who climb with you and BELIEVE God is able to get you to the mountaintop. He can, you just have to be willing to climb. Go get your hiking shoes, I'm ready to go with you!


Blessings, Polly

One Day Closer!

The following illustration is taken from Patsy Clairmont’s book, “God Uses Cracked Pots”.

"When he was 7, I sent him off to school one day and a little while later there was a knock at the door. I opened the door and it was Jason. I said 'Jason, what are you doing here?' "He said, 'I've quit school!' "I said, 'Why have you quit school?' "He said, 'Well, it was too long, it was too hard, and it was too boring and a lot of people were too mean.' "I said, 'Jason, you have just described life, get back on that bus!'

Pretty funny story but isn’t it the truth. It’s easy to get tired of  “doing good”; I know I’ve been there. We can stay frustrated when we don’t see a change in the people we are trying to help. It’s understandable to get discouraged when we’ve been given a bad doctor’s report or when we experience a season of lack even though we have remained faithful to tithing and giving. Could it be you are drained physically as a single mom working 40+ hours a week doing the best you can, giving all you have and you still don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel!  Ahhhhhh- life!

Unfortunately, life is not prejudice to any of us and if we let it, it will suffocate our harvest!

The bible admonishes us “not to grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart!” Paul was talking to the church, Christians like you and me. They obviously, must have felt the same struggles? Paul knew when we continually “do good” it will become exhausting. Why? Because doing good, takes effort!

When someone continually mistreats you, it takes an intentional effort to return kindness. When you begin volunteering in a ministry and the demands get greater and more is required of you, it’s easy to consider walking away but it takes more effort to stay committed. When you relentlessly stay on your knees praying for a lost son or daughter, brother or sister or, for healing, restitution, reconciliation yet day after day you see no results, it’s easy to consider the enemies taunts,  “It’s not worth it, throw in the towel. Can’t you see your efforts are a waste of time.”?  It can be so easy to agree with him and take a back seat to prayer.

Satan would love for you to stop “doing good”. He wants you to tell that person off who keeps slandering you and yours. He is waiting for you to trade in your teaching materials for a little rest & relaxation on the weekends and if he can get you to stop spending time on your knees, who else will be praying for your children and loved ones? 

When we find our selves in the place of resistance, exhaustion, and frustration it’s time to recommit to an even greater level of faithfulness in whatever area we feel weary. We must make the decision to keep moving forward, to walk by faith and not by sight!

Personally, when I get to this point in my journey and the overwhelming desire to quit arises, I go back to Galatians 6:9 and remind my enemy – that as hard as he may try to stop me, I know that God keeps His promises and in due season I WILL reap (gather, collect, obtain) all the good I have invested.

So today friend if you are struggling in continuing to “do good”, and you are wrestling with the idea of quitting, please don’t stop doing good, please don’t throw in the towel, please don’t quit! You never know just how close you are to your harvest. It could be less than one season or one day. Maybe you’re just as close as one more prayer offered, one more sacrificial gift given, one more time to turn the other cheek until God declares, “It’s due season for this child, now give her what she’s due!” Don’t let the enemy rob you of your “doing good” harvest, keep on pressing forward even through adversity and take note, you are one day closer! 

Hang in there friend,

Polly