By Bruce Decker
My cohorts encouraged me to entitle this post, “Old Goats”, so since I’m not at all sensitive about having turned the big “six-o”, I’ll humor them:)
Now that I have you wondering why this title is appropriate, here you go. As Brian and I began our Colorado mountain climb and entered the trailhead at 10,300 feet high, he pointed out Mt. Quandry, our “victim”. I strained my neck looking up at it, 14,300 feet high. It was beautiful, and I certainly couldn’t imagine myself standing on top of it! But off we went, about 100 yards on flat terrain, and I couldn’t believe it… I was already breathing hard! Brian encouraged me that we would take our time and he reminded me how thrilling it would be when we go to the top. He had cast a great vision (“without vision, the people will perish”), so I continued on. Even though Brian told me we would be hiking about 6 miles round trip for about 6 hours, the vision drove me. Brian helped me pace myself, and I was doing fine until we got above the tree line- wow, the air is rather thin up there! I remember breathing harder and harder and I stepped on a loose rock and as I slid and braced myself, I caught a glimpse of the cliff below. With a serious case of acrophobia, now I was breathing faster and faster. Brian sensed my desperation and encouraged me to develop a rhythm of deep breathing in and out as I hiked. I was amazed at how much that helped- I got plenty of air and it took my mind off my fear, and by the grace of God, I made it to the top.
This journey reminded me of how important it is for us to spend time with Jesus in a deep way as we go through life. As we pray and commune with Him, as we reflect and meditate on His Word, He nourishes us so we can deal with whatever He allows us to face. His sufficiency allows us to bear fruit. If we don’t cultivate our relationship with Him, we try to do life on our own, and we go faster and faster, taking short,shallow breaths, and we burn out. He wants to fill us, but He won’t unless we seek Him and breathe in His fullness.
When we do surrender ourself and completely depend on Him, we have the right relationship with our Father. We experience oneness with Him and find our joy there, as Jesus promised, ”These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)
I like Oswald Chambers’ analogy in “My Utmost for His Highest”. He says, ”A person who has the right relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes. The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing. ”
Father, as I climb each mountain and breathe in your fullness, may I be a blessing to whoever you put on my path.
