A View of The Mountain, By: Stephanie Halvorsen
We ran up the trail, completely lost in the moment. Our lives, so full of struggles and trials, seemed a lifetime away. We were totally taken with the beauty surrounding us, and the strong mountain standing before us.
It was a family vacation taken with some of our close friends to Mount Rainier National Park. Pastor Joey and I were the only two from the group who wanted to take a quick hike up the trail. We started toward the majestic mountain with an edge of excitement and every intention of being back at the car in ten minutes. The trail drew us in, and the beauty around us was completely overwhelming. The mountain towering over us had demanded our focus.
Conversation was consumed by words describing our God. We tried to imagine the raw power it must have taken to create something so beautiful, so massive, and so dangerous. Pastor Joey paused to take a picture of the flowers by the trail as I stopped to catch my breath. “Steph, look!” I glanced back as he pointed behind us; we had gained altitude and could see below us a green valley and then straight across at the surrounding mountains. My breath caught in my throat. The view had changed so drastically in the five minutes we had spent climbing. The mountains surrounding us were the very same mountains, but the view had completely changed.
We spent the next hour excitedly running up the trail, turning around every few minutes to find, to our surprise, a completely different perspective of the mountain. Struck with awe, we hiked, lost in our thoughts. Coming to a resting place, we both knew it was time to head back. As we stopped, Pastor Joey said, “Ya know Steph, it’s so much like God.” I looked up, waiting for him to finish his thought, “You have to keep looking or you can miss something completely amazing.”
We walked back down the trail toward the car, sad to leave that mountain. We wanted to keep climbing, keep looking. We didn’t want to miss a single view. Pastor Joey’s words rang in my mind. He was right – God has so many layers, such depth, height and grandeur. Our God is so huge I have to keep looking and moving closer to Him. As I draw near to Him, an edge of excitement overtakes me. Inside I have every intention of returning to normal life in just a few minutes. But His power draws me in, and His beauty is completely overwhelming. His majesty and mystery demand my focus.
I can’t take my eyes off Him for even a few minutes or I will miss something amazing: a new perspective of God, a view from another experience, a closer look at my Creator.
Don’t look away, don’t miss Him! He is the same God yesterday, today and tomorrow but the view is constantly changing, continually growing. Keep moving closer to the Mountain of God and don’t take your eyes off Him even for a moment. There is so much more to see.
Agents of Grace
Those who serve You will become channels of grace to the world.
I will be used by You to touch humanity –
To treat others better than they deserve,
To return kindness for evil,
To show mercy in return for injustice.
My hands will be used to reach out to others
To do Your work –
To serve, to make another’s life easier,
To willingly give when there is need,
To lift up the weak.
My mouth will be used to speak good
and not evil of others –
To say a kind word, to cheerfully share another’s burden.
To leave praise in its path, not discouragement or criticism.
To lift up and not tear down.
My eyes will be used to give a tender look –
To see only good in Your children,
To overlook mistakes
To show my brother love.
My heart will reflect Your goodness –
It will cover the sins of another, forgive wrongs,
Elevate every person, give the benefit of doubt,
Believe only the very best of others,
Accept unconditionally, in spite of belief,
Personality, or station in life.
Please give me this honor.
Make me an agent of Your grace.
“All men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” John 13:35
