A Family Vacation
From the moment we landed on the runway in Colorado Springs to the time our return flight lifted off, we saw mountains. What a wonderful backdrop for a family vacation. We traveled through five states in a Dodge rental car; everywhere we looked, breath-taking mountains. I kept breaking out in song, "Oh beautiful for spacious skies. For amber waves of grain. For purple mountains' majesty, above the fruited plain." I couldn't help myself; no matter how many mountains we saw, I was still in awe each time I lifted up my head from the map and took in the scenery.
Crossing the Mountains
As we drove through the mountains, we stopped along the roadside to observe the bison, elk and moose who were grazing. We rode a tram up to the top of a 12,000 foot peak and beheld the beauty of the valley below. We enjoyed the sight of flourishing fields of wheat at the base of the mountains - amber waves of grain. In some areas, we took four-lane roads up to the mountain summits and back down. Once, our route took us unexpectedly through a stretch of road which made the list of "the 10 most dangerous in the US." The narrow road to the summit took us around hairpin turns without guardrails, a steep drop seemingly inches from our tires.
On the Other Side of the Mountain
One way or another, we crossed the mountains. The impact on my spirit was healing. As we made our trip home, I was aware that I had crossed a threshold in coping with the trauma and challenge of the first seven months of this year. I was ready to put it behind me and look forward.
The idea that we do not scale the heights by leaps and bounds, but by climbing graded inclines at slow speed restored my sense of perspective. Having found the way through the mountains and back home again, I know that there is nothing we cannot pass through. The mountains in our lives are not barriers, but passageways to the next level of maturity and understanding.
Reflection Questions
Name something that creates in you a sense of awe. What is it about that "something" that evokes such emotion?
What have been the mountains in your life recently, those seemingly impossible barriers you must cross?
Think about a time when you overcame great difficulty or achieved a challenging goal. What enabled you to "cross that mountain"?
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