I suppose it stands to reason, having been raised on the pristine beaches in Australia, I have a bit of a fascination with snow-capped mountains. There are days when the weather seems to play hide-and-seek with my view of the Majestic Mount Timpanogos. Then suddenly the skies clear, become blue again and I see why she seemed to be hiding...she was merely getting changed!
Metaphorically speaking what is my mountain in life?
Timidly trying to trust-when historically trust has been violated...
Learning to have faith and patience in accepting Father's Perfect Plan for each of us...
Beginning again, picking up the pieces after being left behind, as loved ones slipped through the veil...
Personal pleading on behalf of those we love, that Father's tender mercies may bear them up in their hour of need....
Accepting mortal limitations when the soul aches to be free of pain, addictions and sore trials...
Finding perfect peace amidst the raging storm...
Knowing I am a daughter of Heavenly Father, who loves me...
Awakening the morning after sending that very precious child away to serve the Lord full-time, enveloped in the bittersweet, of that achingly excruciating moment when the plane door closes...
Each of us faces our own mountains...sometimes seemingly impossible to reach the summit....
Recently I followed the account of my sweet friend Shonee who grasped the rare opportunity to make the climb up one of the highest and most challenging mountains on our planet...Mount Everest! She worked so hard before, and during this exodus, and savored and survived every single stage along the way. She dipped her gentle heart into the cultures, religions, and peoples of that part of our world. Respectfully she shared her life with them, and took a part of theirs as she left. She struggled as the actual climb began...she realized soon into this adventure that while her training was helping, she also recognized the pure determination, and love of others supporting her was key to her success. There were times when she wanted to stop. In some of her own words she says...
"The struggle of the increasing altitude was my constant companion, breathing struggles was the norm. Sore legs, sore back, blistered feet, heavy breathing, sore knees, sore quads, sore calves, tired body and headaches were also my constant companion. At this point – my body was broken, it was cold, I doubted myself, I talked myself down, I thought of every excuse under the sun to stop, I just wanted to stop, sit, lie down, give up, the stairs never ended, they kept coming, my resilience and self-belief, never wavered though, but my body was for sure broken.
My mind was so close to breaking. My mind told me no and my body was saying no. I don’t know what I had in the tank that helped me keep going because this is what it was like for the next five hours.
I had to really dig deep. I wanted so badly to quit. To call it quits and tell the guys I don’t want to do this anymore. I was limiting myself. I just needed to keep believing in myself and in my body and to put in the work. The faces of those that love me and support me pushed me forward one step at a time. Only I have the power to continue going and kill the doubts, the excuses and the fears I had. My mindset was weak but my willingness to succeed pushed me further."
"I noticed my breath getting heavy and my vision start to haze. The mountains surrounded me, and I knew there was nothing that could stop me now. Not my fitness, not my lungs, not my excuses, not my doubts, not my pains and aches, not my brain and certainly not Satan. Purpose moves mountains. Purpose gave me the fire to burn down the world of limitations. My “why” was everything, I found it, I used it and It drove me to the top of the mountain. I stopped and paused with trepidation.
I opened my eyes and I can tell you – I felt like I conquered the WORLD. Tears streamed down my face as I let nature take over and my senses take it all in. Time stopped. My family and friends came into mind. They were counting on me. They are the reason I do this. I do this for me. I do this for them. In this moment I loved everything about my life. I loved myself enough to accept my weaknesses and know that I am stronger than them. I felt success. I felt fulfillment. I felt love. I felt peace. I felt joy. I felt truth. I made it. I made it to the top. Nothing can stop me from accomplishing my goals. We said a prayer full of gratitude and love for Heavenly Father looking after us even though we risked our lives. Our bodies were practically dead from the past week of hiking. Everything hurt. Literally everything. Spirits included. But our hearts were full. Nothing could stop us from smiling as we slept. (This was obviously written after being brought off the mountain in a helicopter as planned.)
The glory goes to God and always to God. There is nothing I haven’t done or achieved without HIS HELP. The glory goes to God and always to God. There is nothing I haven’t done or achieved without HIS HELP."
Shonee is amazing to me! I am grateful for so much more that she shared with me. She was inspiring, as she went with laser-like focus on the end goal, and refused to stop before accomplishing it.
I believe every mountain we encounter in our personal struggles has elements of pain and peace, light and dark, safety and danger, hidden and visible difficulties. However the incomparable-and often indescribable joy of reaching the summit, instantly mitigates all arguments.
No matter how our personal mountain appears to us, it's as real as Shonee's journey in Napal and Tibet, China. 29,029 feet! But ultimately we can all see blue sky and sunshine as far as the natural eye can see...almost into Eternity!
Whether the view is visible to others or reserved for our eyes only...we each have mountains to climb in this our state of mortality and trial.
But this much I know...victory over any mountain is sweet and celebrated on both sides of the veil.
So look up! Reach for the hand of God daily, invite the enabling power of Christ's Atonement to fill your heart and lungs, as we each draw yet another determined breath! And resolutely place one foot in front of the other, conquering our personal mountains.
And then let us all drop to our knees to give God the credit, for without His divine interventions daily...we wouldn't be where we are today!
