MY MOUNTAIN TOP VIEW
…. outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being
renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians. 4:16
I read recently that when people are in their 70’s it is the most productive period of their life. I mulled over those words since I am half way into the following decade, and especially after a forced rest this past year with my body screaming at me… “Give me a break!” Which I reluctantly did… and now that my body is getting back to what my mind thinks it’s capable of doing, I am looking forward to ongoing adventures with Jesus.
Wallace Henley wrote – “I don’t see getting old as a descent into a chasm. Rather aging is an ascent up the mountain into the light.” I haven’t literally climbed a mountain, although I have trekked up a few steep hills to know that literal mountain climbing is not on my ‘to do’ list. On the other hand, I have looked down from a gondola on a mountainside as well as over a gorge at Hell’s Gate Canyon, if tourist attractions count.
Apparently eyesight becomes much clearer high up because the light is clearer and brighter the higher up one goes. I think getting rid of cataracts might bring on the same effect, but I will have to make do with this view at the present time!
This applies to life doesn’t it? The higher up one goes on the aging scale, the more you can see the trail that got you through the valleys and up the slopes. The devil’s lies are now seen flashing in brilliant color.
Hindsight of course is one hundred percent, and looking back down the mountain gives you a very clear look at yesteryear’s bloopers. You see where you’ve been… the steps you took… the paths that were secure and brought you joy, happiness and contentment. On the other hand, one also sees clearly the paths that were filled with potholes and pitfalls bringing poor decisions, painful experiences and sometimes overwhelming despair.
I can attest that suffering gets you up the mountain real fast! The path you choose to take during that suffering depends solely on the lessons you learned on the trek. For me it was usually the hard way (goes with my head) but when I learned to focus on the path Jesus told me to take, then Romans 8:28 was fully realized in my life… “when all things work together for good to those who love God and are called to His purpose!”
When I got high enough up the mountain pictures of my past often come unbidden into my mind with many childhood and adulthood memories of good and not so good times.
Chuck Swindoll wrote – “Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” I like to think I’ve left good memories in my children’s lives, but I know of times that I failed miserably. I hope most of my children’s memories are like mine when I was a young girl.
Memories of my father playing his Hawaiian Steel Guitar while singing The Old Rugged Cross in his wonderful Italian tenor voice. It echoes so clearly in my mind from my mountain top as we harmonized and sang together. It is like he is right here with me as my memory hears the sound of his guitar and his wonderful voice with my mother singing along in the kitchen! The bible and my church is full of music with heavenly singing and instruments resounding that always lifts my spirits in this same way.
The first time I felt a grave injustice done to me was when my sister took my hair brush and mirror and said it was hers. We had been given identical brush, comb and mirror sets as a gift by a relative, and neither of us was smart enough to put our names or some kind of identification on them. Needless to say we were screaming, yelling and battling it out when my mother came half-way up the stairs, peered through the railings and asked “What is the problem?” I quickly stated that it was my brush and mirror and that she wouldn’t give it back to me. Of course my sibling in turn was yelling the same thing.
My moms reaction is clearly seared into my memory as she took one long disgusted look at the two of us, gave a shake of her weary head, waved her hand backwards at us, and without saying another word turned and walked back down the stairs. I could not believe her inaction to make my sister do as I deemed just.
That is… until many years later when I had children of my own. The mountain top view brought a clarity like no other view ever could. If mom had been wise like Solomon she would have broken the brush and mirror in half and given us each a piece. I’m so glad she was just being a very tired mom. I can’t remember how I got the brush and mirror back? We must have found the other set which shows how important the ‘injustice’ really was in the long scheme of childish thinking.
Nothing in my mountaintop experience compares in clarity like my walk up to the top with Jesus. A zigzag course by me, if there ever was one. My willful attitude made the climb twice as long and twice as hard. At times it was more of a crawl than a walk and certainly no running was involved on my part until I was in my fifties.
I often was distracted by the things of this world which pulled me into the fog where potholes and wrong direction took me way off course. Jesus was very patient always lifting me up, dusting me off, healing my bruises, taking away my sins and regrets with forgiveness, while encouraging and directing me back onto the right path. It’s a marvel that I ever made it into old age and I never would have without His second, third and so forth chances at repentance and reconciliation. Not to mention the full time job allotted to His guardian angels.
I now follow enthusiastically with a lot less bumps and bruises and I love joining Jesus in one adventure after another. He supplies all my needs, gives me time to rest and recuperate, talks to me through His word and most times if I am still, I hear Him clearly say… “Come join me Syb and here’s what I have planned for you today”.
As I proceed to follow, the fog dissipates and the Son illuminates the path as I go further up the mountainside towards my heavenly home.