“…Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20
My boys and I signed up to have a family-friendly rock climbing experience. As we walked into the bottom of the rock wall, a worker helped the boys get harnesses on and asked if I needed one. I wasn’t sure that I would get the chance to climb with so many kiddos around, but I had her give me one anyway just in case. I wanted to at least try if an opening came available. Sitting back, I watched different pairs of family members attempt the climb. Some were siblings, some parent and child, others solo. Each time someone attempted the wall, the outcome was different. Sometimes someone would start up you would expect to zip to the top and came down quickly. Other times, someone you didn’t expect to try at all was ringing the bell at the top before you knew it and on to a harder part of the wall. One climber was just feet away from the finish, looked down and asked to be lowered. I had a lot of time to eye that wall and tell everyone how well they had done when they finished. I had one other rock climbing experience probably 20 years ago and I climbed a decent distance but came down fairly quickly. Reaching the top was not a goal of mine.
The crowd began to clear and there was still time for a climb. One of the helpers looked over and I knew it was my moment to attempt this. I got clipped in and began. The first few steps weren’t bad. The higher I got, the more tricky spots I approached. I don’t have a very “long” frame, so my reach didn’t help me find the best footholds. Sometimes I had a great place to step but wasn’t sure where to reach. Sometimes I could grab something with my hand and not know where I would place my foot. In that first moment of uncertainty, I had a choice.
Do I come down? or Do I take a reach or step of faith?
“For we live by faith, not by sight” 2 Corinthians 5:7
Worst case scenario, I slip and fall, I had someone below to slow me down and “catch” me. So, I took the step of faith. I stepped where I felt sure and reached up before I had a place to grab, knowing when I stepped my hand could reach further. Then I grabbed and pulled myself without knowing where to take a step. It was an intense several minutes. I stopped unsure if I even wanted to finish, but then I saw the bell. It was just a couple climbs away. What initially was an out of sight goal became my mission. Next thing I knew, I had that rope in my hand and was shaking that bell and on the decent down!
“…Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray…” Luke 6:12
We don’t have a lot of mountains around these parts, but on this artificial mountain, I could feel the power of prayer in a place where few were next to me. A place where great faith was needed to reach and a difficult climb was required to find it. Where the people I love weren’t next to me and the only one who could make the next step or reach was myself. Where I still had freewill and could turn around at any time. Where a bell ringing was followed by claps, someone had made it to the top!
For a moment, I could see that mountain climb as the end of the valley I had been trudging through. Reaching and stepping when I didn’t know what was next. When the end didn’t seem close (no bell in sight). Then, the tough stretch where my arms couldn’t reach the next hold and the real faith had to kick in. It was only then that after a few steps and reaches of faith did that bell come into view. All along I had just what I needed to make the climb: harness, rope, foot and hand holds, and someone below “just in case,” oh and most importantly my faith! What if I had said “No, I just came to watch,” and never attempted to climb at all?
It made me reflect:
- How close are we to reaching a goal when we give up?
- What blessing is waiting behind that next step of faith?
- What mountaintop view have we possibly missed because we turned around too quickly?
- Why do we doubt we are enough, when God has equipped us with just what we need to handle what we are going through?
- How many valleys have we walked through and didn’t even get on the mountain at the end to climb to the finish line?
“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.” 2 Corinthians 9:8
I do not know what mountain lie ahead of you, but I do know what is waiting at the top. I know you will have support with each step, each reach, and when you get there you will be prouder than you know. Do not stop. Do not give up. That bell is coming and it will be a beautiful sound!
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
Climbing with you, Julie
P.S. That is me in red at the top!
Father, Today I Surrender:
My Climb
Show me the next step I should take.