Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

My husband and I were in Northern New Mexico recently. The scenery was beautiful. Being in the mountains really resonates with my soul. I know some people marvel at the ocean and its power but I usually prefer to be up in the mountains. The air is so fresh and clean, scented with the smell of pine trees. It is usually cooler in the mountains and since Oklahoma can be so hot in the summer, it is a nice respite from the heat. I feel at peace in the quiet of the mountains.

This trip was a time of vacation for us. One day especially remains in my memory. It was a picture perfect day with lots of sunshine. The temperature was in the low 70. We were driving back from touring around some cliff dwellings. We had all the windows down and the sunroof open. We wound our way along curvy, mountains roads. We had trouble keeping a radio station tuned in because of the mountains but finally found KLOVE coming in loud and clear. We had it blasting as we sung along with our favorite songs. I held my arms out the windows to praise God for the beauty of His nature as we sang praises to His name. I felt like I could almost touch heaven in that moment. It was a mountain top experience both spiritually and physically. The last day added to this special time. It was a grey, overcast day. As the sun was setting, the clouds parted and the sun lighted up one mountain so that it looked like it was on fire. God then set a rainbow above it all. My attempt to take a photo of it does not do it justice but I attached it anyway. It was an awesome moment.

The trip soon ended and before long I found myself back sitting at my desk at work. Yuck! Now don’t get me wrong, I love my job. I was just not ready to be back to our normal routine. I wanted to stay on that mountain top and worship more. I wanted to stay in the beauty, peace, tranquility and quiet of those moments forever. I did not want the reality of my work and my deadlines and my blogs to write and all my other responsibilities to crowd out those moments. But they did anyway.

Have you ever had a mountain experience with God? This one was not my first and hopefully not my last. I need these times because they refresh my soul so much. But I have also learned that God is preparing something for me and He gives me these times to refresh me before His work begins. As much as I would love to stay on the mountain, there is much work to be done in the valley below and so He sends me back down the mountain. I imagine heaven will be a little like some of our mountain top experiences except that in heaven we will get to stay forever. Can you imagine how Moses felt after his mountain experience with God, when he had to return to deal with the rebellious Israelites. Or how about the disciples on the mountain with Jesus when Moses and Elijah appeared. They then left the mountain with Jesus to be confronted by a man with a son possessed with demons that the disciples could not drive out. Jesus told them they had so little faith. Wow, one minute on the mountain and then to being told you faith is too small.

God does not want us to remain on the mountain forever. If you had a mountain top experience and then felt let down afterwards, you are not alone. We just have to learn that God is giving us this special time to prepare us for the work ahead. During many of our mission trips, we have had mountain top experiences. This was especially true after our first mission to Kenya. I did not want it to end and felt down for a period of time when we got home. But God had work for us to do and our first orphanage was started because of that trip and those experiences with God. Take heart. Enjoy those experiences when they come. Just remember we are not called to stay there, we have to come down and go to work. God has a plan He has prepared for you to do once you return from His mountain.

May the Lord Bless you and keep.

Yvonne

Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”