Here we are a few weeks into the school year, and 2020 continues to be a year to remember. Or forget. I’m not sure yet.
Everyone is learning to adjust and right about the minute we start to complain I’m reminded this is a GLOBAL issue, and then I loudly remind all the children that at least we have food and clean water and no one is throwing bricks through our windows. They don’t visibly appreciate this, but deep, deep down, I am sure they must.
Everyone needs something fun to do in the middle of a pandemic. For some it might be to go to a beach, or visit a field of sunflowers, or ride on a trolley through San Franscisco. I’d like to do all of those things very much, but instead of doing something leisurely, I chose to climb 4 mountain peaks in one day. They were all 14,000+ and not one second of the day was disappointing, even the parts when I thought I might fall off a cliff.
We started the climb at 7:30 am, and were back at the car by 5:00pm. Our good friend Mark showed us the way, and we began the ascent. I knew I was in trouble when I was out of breath before we had gotten out of the parking lot. I developed a nice little migraine that lasted the whole day long the second we gained elevation, but in spite of the pain, I saw beauty. The best part was getting to experience a day like that with my sweet son Jack who despite not working out a day in his life, ended up crushing those 4 peaks like a boss.
A girl can learn a lot about herself when climbing 4 mountains in one day:
I learned I have a lot of baggage, and sometimes I make my load way too heavy. I learned that I can overcome my fears. I learned that jagged rocks aren’t just dangerous, but they were perfect for holding onto in times need. I learned that I doubt more than I trust. I learned that I love the valley as much as I love the mountain peak.
I learned there’s nowhere to pee above the tree line. I learned you have to drink a lot of water anyway. I learned that putting an ankle brace on BEFORE rolling your ankle on the climb is essential. I learned that adrenaline is a real thing. I learned that I like the ascent more than the descent. I learned that I don’t always need to talk, and that sometimes just breathing and moving forward is the best time to hear God.
As we descended the last peak, we hit the hardest terrain we had seen all day. The ground moved with each step, and sometimes the only way to move forward was sliding on my butt. I fell too many times to count and my head pounded. Jack took the lead and coached us down, as our real guide had already made it to the car hours before us. Every 20 feet or so Jack would shout, “Great job! Look what you just did!” and then I would try and look back only to get dizzy and almost fall off the edge. Despite my complaints, Jack found the safest paths for us and showed us which rocks to step on and to avoid. That’s quite a moment, when a mom looks to her firstborn son for life saving advice. I was so glad he was there.
When Billy picked me up after it was all said and done, I felt myself relax for the first time in 16 hours. He is my ride or die, and even though he wasn’t on the mountain that day, I knew he was cheering me on from start to finish. And he got me Oreos and Chick-fil-a. What more could a girl want?
2020 may be a year full of giant mountainous obstacles for mankind, but I have no doubt that God is in control, and when we look back on what we have accomplished, we might be a little dizzy, but I hope we will see how faithful God was through it all. How His hands were holding us, through storms, riots, unrest, homeschooling, politics, illness… and that He didn’t leave our side, not even for one single second.
Rest in these words written so long ago, to know when all of this feels overwhelming and the unknowns rock you to your core:
Micah 4:1
“In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.”
