Lesson from the mountain, part 2

Coming back I decided to backtrack and see everything heading from the opposite direction to see what, if anything I'd missed. Again, the day was gorgeous and I was stopping almost every time there was a scenic overview. I decided to try to take more pictures and so was playing around with the camera a lot more too. A couple of hours in, I began to notice that the sky in the west was getting cloudier -- dark, deep, full of rain clouds. Now, at this point I had to make a decision: continue the drive the way I was, with multiple stops, understanding that at some point I'd be driving the mountains with the top up and in the rain, or forgo the picture taking and try to get down the mountains before the rain got there. Don't know why, but I decided to run for it.

For a good stretch, the road kept me on the west side of the mountains, so I could see what was coming. The clouds were getting darker and uglier by the minute and I expected the downpour to begin at any moment. I thought for sure I was going to get wet. True, at one point it did sprinkle a little, but then the road went to the other side of the mountain. Suddenly, there were no clouds in site, the sky was clear and the sun was shining bright. I began to rethink my decision until I realized that to go to the other side was to face the rain. It occurred to me that I didn't have to outrun the rain any more, that there was even a good chance that the mountain would block the rain completely. That's when things began to hit me.

Where would I rather be, on the side where I can see the rain coming and prepare for it or on the other side, not knowing the rain is coming BUT also where the rain might never come? And, if it is going to rain, is it better to know the rain is coming or to enjoy the beautiful sky that much longer until the rain actually hits? After having the time to think about it, my answer would have to be that I would want to be able to enjoy the sun as long as possible. Knowing that there was rain headed in my direction caused me to change my course, created a certain amount of uncertainty, and caused me to begin to doubt the direction I was going. I didn't even realize the full impact until it occurred to me that the rain might not actually come my way at all -- I was reacting to something that looked bad that might but actually hadn't happened yet. And, as it turned out, it never did.

When we go through life, we travel the path that God sets out for us. We can face that path focused on the One Who created it for us, Who acts as our Guide, or we can spend our time looking on the other side of the mountain, where all the darkness is, and worry about what might be. God has called us to follow Him, regardless of what the weather may hold. And, to worry about what might be is to say that we don't trust God's plan or His path for our lives. When you're on the journey, enjoy the journey. Enjoy the One Who called you to that journey and enjoy all the blessings He has created along the way. Don't let doubt or uncertainty cloud your view. Keep your eyes on Jesus.

Lesson from the mountain top

Last weekend I had the opportunity to drive a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway through the Smokie Mountains. I left on a Friday with no real idea of where I was headed except for the Parkway. I wanted to put the top down on the car and drive, surrounded by the beauty of Creation. I had this idea to get to a certain spot by nightfall, but that wasn't in stone. I truly wanted to get away by myself and have time to worship in the splendor of God's beautiful handiwork while having conversations with Him. I got a lot more than I expected.

First, the weather that afternoon was gorgeous. I hit the road and stopped at Pilot Mountain. For those who don't know, it's this mountain pretty much by itself surrounded by flat stretches of land before you hit the Smokies or the Parkway. I decided to drive to the top and climb to the highest observation point to see the surrounding areas. (I say climb, but really, they have the trail set up pretty well.) It became apparent quickly that you wouldn't be able to see as far as usual due to a haze in the distance, but the view from the top was still incredible. It's amazing how you can feel on top of the world and so small at the same time. I snapped some pics, then decided that if I was going to make it I'd better leave. I stopped for lunch in Mt. Airy, then headed to the Parkway.

As I mentioned before, I was stopping at almost every scenic overview. The views were amazing, some even breath-taking. In spite of the beauty, something was missing, didn't quite feel right. During my conversations with God, asking about what He had next for me in my life and my ministry, things felt out of place. Finally, at one overlook, it hit me. I was so focused on where I thought I was going while I was driving that I was missing much of the beauty that surrounded me. And then it hit me. I was doing the same in my life. I was so focused on where I thought I was supposed to be that I was missing some of the blessings that were happening all around me. I needed to stop focusing on the destination and pay more attention to what was around me at that moment. Praying for forgiveness and determining to focus more on where I was at that moment rather than on where I thought I was supposed to be, I decided to take that same advice in my trip and find someplace closer, someplace that would allow me to spend more time where I was and enjoy the drive more. At that moment, an older couple pulled up next to me and got out to take in the view. They asked me to take their picture and handed me their camera. After the shot, I spoke with the wife while her husband took more pictures. I figured they were there for a reason and decided that I wanted to talk about Jesus with them somehow. Through the course of the conversation, I found out that they too were followers of Jesus and we talked about how majestic His creation was. She asked me about what was going on in my life, we talked a little about church and music, then she called her husband over and they prayed for me. We spoke briefly after that, then they got in their car and drove the opposite direction I was going. It was an incredible blessing, and I realized that they never told me their names. God used them to reiterate to me His love and guidance, and I have no idea who they are. Just two people who love Jesus being used by Jesus to help encourage a fellow follower of Jesus seeking to live like Jesus.

You just never know what you might miss when you don't take the time to enjoy and/or embrace the place God has you right now.

So i'm reading this book...

It's called Secondhand Jesus, trading rumors of God for firsthand faith (by Glenn Packiam). I'll post a full synopsis when I'm done but thought I'd start the topic while I'm sitting here in jury duty. The premise is this -- how much of what we say we believe actually comes from what we know of God from Scripture and from our experience of Him in light of Scripture versus what we believe based on what we've been told by someone else. Have we sat in our chairs (or pews) and simply accepted whatever we heard as total truth and molded our lives after that, or do we get messy and dig deep in our personal relationship with God and know Him, really know Him? If we simply take what other people say, we very easily can begin to believe rumors, falsehoods that sound good and get repeated over and over until we accept them as fact, without even realizing that we don't really know what we've been saying. And here's the scary part. Until we have that moment or event that shakes us to our core and causes us to reexamine why we believe what we believe, we don't know what we don't actually know. We just keep moving forward until that moment when everything gets shaken up and we take a closer look, rather, we allow the Light of God to search out our hearts and expose those things we hold on to.

Now, don't misinterpret the aim of this blog. I'm not saying I've been sitting under false or erroneous teaching. What I'm driving at is the challenge for us to not just believe everything a preacher or evangelist or professor or even our best friend has told us about God but to dig deeper, to get our hands dirty, to do the work to know God for ourselves, not just take somebody else's word for Him. It means getting uncomfortable with ourselves and opening ourselves up to examination, allowing God to reach in and change our way of thinking. But, and here's why I feel it's important, I can't be comfortable in my relationship with God any more. For the fire to remain kindled forward momentum must be maintained, and simply sitting passively by and trying to live vicariously through the words and actions of others just doesn't cut it any more.

Know why you believe what you believe -- and because someone told you so doesn't cut it. Question what you hear based on Scripture, not on what you or some talking head thinks. Know God. Really know Him. It takes hard work. It will get messy. But it's so worth it.

(I apologize for any typos. Using the Blackberry to type this.)