As Christians we hear allot about being "In The Valley" or in other words going through a trial. We also hear allot about "Being on the Mountain Top" or rather being victorious over something in our lives that we may have been struggling with. However not much thought is giving to the trip from the valley to the mountaintop.
I have been on a few hiking and camping trips but one in particular I remember was in Colorado with a friend several years ago. We drove up from Texas one evening and arrived at the base of the mountain late that night. We had planned on sleeping in the car the remainder of the night and then hiking up early the next morning.
One thing we didn't realize was that the temperature was going to be so cold that night. My friend had a blazer 4x4 and so we put down the back seat and slept in the back. That night got extremely cold. We ran the car off and on to try and stay warm. This reminds me of our times in that Valley. We are at the base of the mountain and sometimes it seems very cold and dark in our life.
Not only was it cold that night but the next day was cold as well. The sun came out and provided a little heat but as we prepared for the trek up the mountain I realized that it wasn't going to be as fun as I had imagined. We both packed everything we had into our backpacks and then tied anything else we had onto our backs. We were planning on staying up there for a few days so we needed several supplies.
After we were loaded down with a good 75 pounds each on our backs we began our march up that mountain. The path started out easy but got steeper as the morning went on. Then as we neared our campsite the path became rougher and steeper. Rocks became more jagged and our chance of being hurt or injured became more apparent. Not only was the path rough and steep but we had a heavy burden on our backs to add to it.
When it seemed like there was never going to be an end to our journey it seemed like out of nowhere a beautiful meadow appeared. Finally we had arrived to the top of the mountain. The scene was magnificent. A small stream ran through the middle of the meadow and it was near this stream that we set up our campsite.
Finally, we had achieved our goal and we had reached our destination. We spent a few hours setting up camp and getting ready for our stay there. Since the nights would be very cold we had brought extra clothes and very good sleeping bags with us. Our few days there was refreshing and exciting. I'll never forget how cold the nights were, but I will also never forget how it felt to finally reach the mountaintop after a long, hard journey.
When we are in a valley in our life I want to always be prepared for the tough journey up the path of the mountain. Victory will come but only after much preparation and hard work along the pathway of life.
The next time I hear someone talking about the Valley or the Mountain Top I will also remember what it takes to get to the mountaintop. I don't want to get discouraged and not even attempt the journey because then I will miss out on all the beauty and splendor that God has for me up on the Mountain Top.
