We watched intently as the mountain climber worked
his way to the top of the steep incline.
He looked for every safe area in
the rocks and crevices to place his hands and then one foot at a time on his
way upward. The energy required to climb
was so great but continued to climb to reach the goal. He kept his eyes focused on the next place
for a firm footing and never gave up until he reached the pinnacle for a time
of celebration.
The cameras are now turned off as if the task is now
complete. But wait; he cannot stay on
the mountaintop; he must come down. This
is perhaps the most dangerous part of the climb but we rarely get to see
that. We do know that approximately 80%
of mountaineering accidents happen on the way down. One has stated that this is very dangerous
because our bodies are not as well suited to climb down as they are to climb
up. We are also reminded that the
climber cannot depend on eyesight or the footholds that got him to the top, but
on a very careful analysis of the next step below. The safe foothold may be
within reach but he cannot see it.
Does this sound like life? It seems that we are constantly climbing
mountains but the celebration time is short-lived until we are challenged by returning
to the base of another mountain and start the climb again. The way down is often very difficult and
takes all of our stamina and effort to maintain a firm foothold on life to keep
from being destroyed. Going up may be
difficult but going down is most difficult because our plan Is to be successful
on the mountain and the descent from the mountain is not planned and is often
accompanied with failures and disappoints.
One of the rules of climbing is that one never
climbs alone; there is safety in numbers. We need a support team or a group of
climbing companions for ascending and descending the mountains or the mountains
of real life situations. When we have the proper support team in place we can
make it safely to start the climb again.
These may include:
- A set of guiding principles to live by.
- Traveling companions that are encouragers.
- Proper tools of the trade for climbing.
- Dependence on the experience and sound judgment
- And most importantly, Jesus--”I will
never leave you or forsake you." So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord
is my helper; I will not be afraid.’”[1]
“He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards
you always.”[2]
Enjoy your next mountain climbing experience; and do
not allow it to overwhelm you with fear and cause you to lose your
footing. Remember, Christ will be with
us to the top and will be there to catch us if we fall. He is not just a safety net but a close
companion along the trip. Climb with confidence
and depend on your traveling companions and remember that we cannot make it
alone. Hear Him whisper, “here’s my hand, we’ll conquer it together
and with my strength, you can keep climbing on.”[3]
