The Climb

My daughter, Abigail, is a huge fan of a young lady who is quickly becoming an international superstar, named Miley Cyrus. Who would have known that the daughter of the master of the "Achy Breaky Heart" would someday become blog material for me? Nevertheless, she has a song out right now called "The Climb". It is a song that has challenged me greatly. It has encouraged me to realize that the challenges of life are really not about arriving at a destination, nor is it about accomplishing the challenge of the peak. The things we go through in life are really about the journey - it's really about the climb. God works on our character, makes improvements to our life, helps us to become more like Him as we journey up the steep passages to higher altitudes.

There are so many different analogies we can use to describe the process. It has been referred to among others as the refiner's fire, the potter's wheel, and the pruner's sheer. Whatever you want to call the process, isn't it great to know that Jesus isn't finished with us yet. There was a song that we used to sing when I was a kid, "He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be, It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the Earth and Jupiter and Mars, How loving and patient He must be, He's still working on me." (Thanks Joel Hemphill.) Patiently God's works on us helping us to become more like Him and thus fulfill His plan for our life. Sometimes the process of becoming like Him causes us to arrive at the base of a mountain - what feels like something in our life that's so big we'll never reach the peak. But the purpose the mountain for you and I has less to do with the top than it does with every foothold and handhold along the way. It really is about the climb. Every inch gained, every cleared pass, every foot hold secured, every steep ascent are all just moments of God's strength gained in our life. They are simply proving points where our character fades to the background and the character of Christ comes to the surface. We become more like Him.

I know I've talked a lot about songs today but another song that I heard recently, I haven't been able to stop singing. I heard Jason Crabb sing a song recently called "That's No Mountain". The lyrics are as follows:

I looked at that mountain that stood in my way
Would this be my last climb, would this be my fate?
How my heart beat so fearful, what challenge awaits
But, strength rose up in me, God's power and grace

That's no mountain for a climber
I know what awaits at the peak
Jesus is there watching over,
to see if his help I will need
He makes sure that his dear precious children
Don't fall by the trial so steep
That's no mountain for a climber
When the maker of the mountain is standing by me

I beheld all the footprints that had been there before
Up through the cliffs and the rocks til' I could see them no more
And, I wondered what brave ones would challenge such feat
God said "It's the saints, child, that's gone on before thee

I'm so thankful to know that the mountains that are in the path that God has chosen for me were created by Him. His intention is for me to make it through every trial I face and so He has prepared what is needed for me to make it to the peak of this mountain. As a matter of fact, when I look back over my life and I see the size of the mountains I've already scaled, I've gained the necessary climbing skills to make it through this one as well. This is no mountain for a climber. My gear is prepared. I've got the necessary tools. Jesus has prepared and laid out the path I'm to take. He has planned the journey. My ropes are tied off. It's time to climb!

Until next time - love all of you - thank for reading! God bless all of the climbers! Regardless of where you are on the mountain - remember it really is about the climb! -- RP