Saturday, January 9, 2010

CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN


Sometimes in life, we have circumstances that can feel like a mountain before us. As a friend was sharing with me about a concern that seems insurmountable in her life today, I recalled this climb that my friend, Betsy and I took in October of 2008 in Arizona. We were there in beautiful Scottsdale with our husbands on business and both of us wanted to climb the challenging Camelback Mountain. Betsy and I had heard that these sheer redstone cliffs with their telltale hump drew thousands of hikers each year. We both felt like we were in pretty good shape for this adventure, which was important since we had also heard that this hike was not for beginners. This beautiful mountain range was known to be 2,704 feet above sea level!
This strenuous hike took us a few hours and was a tremendous work-out for sure! We had plenty of time to talk, which always makes the time go by when one is exercising. The scenery was breathtaking as we traveled higher and higher.
As a 50 something woman, I have learned that the mountains in life's journey are nearly always followed by a nice deep valley, a time to catch our breath after a difficult and challenging season.
As a 50 something woman, I have also learned that I do not want to miss the lessons that will likely be gained during a difficult climb as I overcome adversity. Just like the ageless song, "Climb Every Mountain" from The Sound of Music, I want to search high and low, following every by-way, every path I know. I want to climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every rainbow, 'til I find my dream!
And just like this climb up Camelback Mountain, I have encouraged my troubled friend to persevere, to stay on the path that I know God has marked out for her. And I will follow that advice myself, living life to the fullest, climb after climb!

7 comments:

  1. "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things"...and your blog is certainly ONE of them.

    My deaf-blind father said many times: "Speeches (blog posts) are like realatives' visits...
    SHORT AND SWEET
    IS HARD TO BEAT."

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  2. Thanks, STEVE! very true and thanks for the reminder to keep these blog posts short and meaningful!

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  3. Amen sister! Well said and well understood from a forty-something woman.

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  4. Thanks, Velva! Have a great day scaling the mountains that come up unexpectedly!

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  5. Just a comment--HEY! That's what this area is about! Right?

    Anyway, FYI...I NEVER took my father's advice re short and sweet...I write Blongs (that's "Long Blogs"). But YOU do it so well, the short, the sweet.

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  6. Hey...I knew that ! I get it!
    I am looking for ways to improve and that's why I said what I did! (the biggest room in the world is the "room for improvement")
    ...could not help myself!!!
    I cannot believe your father was both deaf and blind! Must have been something to live around that experience! I love quotes by Helen Keller. This one is especially speaking to my heart today:
    "I thank God for my handicaps for through them I found myself, my work, and my God."

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