“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6

While I live in Florida (by choice), I have a family cabin (by grateful blessing) up in the Allegheny mountains. The flat terrain of home gives way to gorgeous vistas, foliage and the challenges that come by walking an incline. Along with the sights come trials and hardships of walking mountains since, no matter the destination, it is either up…or down. This makes every destination either work at worst, or a hike at best.

My father bought this slice of heaven almost fifty years ago, and it rests, almost at the base, of a mountain. Coming out the front door, out view is a mountain across the valley. Going out the back of the property is to go UP! One of the first things that I wanted to do when he bought it was to walk to the top of the mountain…just to see what was there! It is NOT a goal that very many adults have, because walking a mountain takes some skill.

Going up, one finds, is harder than it looks. These mountains don’t have shear cliffs and drops offs like you might see in the Rockies, so a hike is quite possible. When coupled with sweat, good boots and a walking stick, it can be done. I think the last time I walked the back yard it took about 45 minutes to get to the top. Getting up was less than HALF the adventure. It is coming DOWN that presents the bigger challenge!

Because these mountains are covered with trees of all types and sizes, the entire place is covered in dead leaves. This makes the going a little more tenuous since underneath, there are rocks, holes and decaying matter that God is turning into more dirt. When it rains or snows, it only makes the slopes more slippery. Grabbing onto tree saplings and pulling yourself up is one way. Making a walking stick to help pull oneself up is smart. Though coming DOWN with a stick CAN prove dangerous!

It’s easy to see that animals who live there have a different way of going up a mountain. Deer trails don’t got up and down, they traverse the mountain, gently crisscrossing as they ascend upward. This makes the trip to the top longer, but much less difficult. Me being me, I usually don’t think things through like that because, as they say, “the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line.” I just can’t seem to get it it my head that taking a longer course can actually get me there in better shape! Something God knows much better than me.

The Bible verse today is actually one of my all time favorites. NOT because it started out that way. But because, over the long tenuous course of my life, I have LEARNED…the HARD way…that God does not lie! Me means EVERY WORD He says. But I, knowing as much as I did, and having tried to take the shortcut so many times, carry lifetime scars both inside and out. Eventually the rebel inside just gave up and started paying attention. Imagine my shock when what He said…proved true!

Coming DOWN a mountain, like coming off of a trial, fall or crisis, can be difficult. I learned to actually RUN down mountains as a kid. The trick is to go down HEELS FIRST, digging into the dirt as you go. I found that if I started to slide, I could actually use my momentum to my advantage. Coming DOWN is faster than going up! But falls are more common.

Life is a mountain. Falls, hardships and pain are inevitable. But God! He SAID that He would have me, IF I would put HIM FIRST. Deer Christian… the question is…do YOU?