Do We Dare

Last entry onto this blog I noted that we do not get to the mountaintops of joy – where Jesus was transfigured and where Moses encountered God – unless we climb them.  These folks were not standing around on the level plain when these moments occurred.  They climbed.  Climbing takes effort.  It is the wrong side of comfort.  But…. We gravitate to comfort and easy.  There is the problem.

I decided that at the ripe age of 70 I would try to finish the Mt. Washington Autoroad Bike race this summer.  Since the last time I did this, I broke my ankle, ripped my Achilles tendon and had major surgery to have a few screws put in my hip. I was also a lot younger.  Not many old guys do this which is discomforting.  Nor many guys my size.  Climbers are typically akin to the skeletal marathon runners, less to drag up the hill.  So there they are: my excuses, my iron clad reasons to saturate in life on the plain.

I fear failure.  There are always those folks who will say, “I told you so!  Too much!  Too old!  Too many issues!  Be grateful for where you are and do not be stupid!”  In other words be (like them) – wise, moderate, and all that.  I mean the world can be your anchor and there are precious few people who will be your encouragement.  Precious few.  Well, no one.

The challenge is losing the weight and doing all the training.  The wrong side of comfort.  I will write this - taking on challenges builds a quiet confidence in how God has blessed us.  And that pertains not just to this physical stuff – but all of life. The carryover effect is dramatic. And I propose that for many who do take on a challenge – they gain a perspective on all the matters which can occupy our minds in life on the plain, little stuff that robs us of life because it is so mind consuming.

Push, push – what we find on the way up can be transforming.  We gotta climb that mountain to see what is there. And one of the sadnesses of our days is when we look back and wonder why we never tried. All of this is a metaphor of sorts. It speaks to making those phone calls, inviting someone to a meal or coffee, volunteering... endless list really,. So many hills and mountains.