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