This past weekend, I made a mad dash with some college buddies to Manitou Springs, Colorado to climb the magnificent Pikes Peak. This trip idea was birthed over a year ago and was originally planned as an escape from the pressures of life and school in College Station. By the grace of God though, we did not follow through with our psychotic plan back then. But this past weekend, those dreams were realized and the adventure was gloriously difficult. Five young men traveling over 1,100 miles in a very cramped Toyota Corolla, hiking over 20 miles in 14 hours, gaining 6,000 feet of elevation without any adjustment to the conditions, trekking through below freezing temperatures, fighting countless mental battles to just keep walking, all done out of a need to escape and rest. It is pretty amazing the things we will do to escape and experience the peace and tranquility that is found in God’s creation. In the stillness of the morning and evening on that mountain, the very presence of God was with us and nearer than our sweat-soaked bodies. The interesting part for me is that I have a disdain for hiking almost to the level of hate, however those few moments of overwhelming beauty and accomplishment somehow keep me trudging along. I have never been that guy who is motivated to push his body to the limits to prove his manliness. I am confident in the man that God has made me, so trips like this are not what get me going at all. But the trip was so much more than proving true some inner desire for meaning and worth; it was about being together with and fighting together with men of God. That mountain was not the proving grounds of life, but more the preparation grounds for grander and more meaningful fights to come.
God is teaching me so much about Himself and myself as of late. I cannot quite put words to it all the time, but it is happening regardless of my limitations with the English language. Just a few things:
· Waiting on God to move
· The Holiness of God
· Trusting God with the big and little picture
· Living in the moment, for that is all that I have
· The need for skilled men to make a difference in the workplace and entire world
· The desperate need for deep, real community
The pace of my life is not slowing down either. On Thursday I am making another trek across the very wide state of Texas to be home with my family. I have been asked to speak at my high school’s graduation. I am incredibly honored to get to do this. I am looking forward to sharing the grace of God in my life and challenging them to live for something beyond the sun, Solomon-style. Pray that God would move hearts to love Him and desire so much more than just perpetuating life. Pray that kids from this class would be changed and moved to doing big things for others with their lives. His will, not mine. His Kingdom, not mine.
I hope to see you and catch up as I zoom by on this downhill road that I am on!
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