It's been a few weeks, but we're still talking about the wilderness trip we took in Colorado.
Colorado was awesome. We didn't spend much time in civilization at all. The mountains and the fresh air were life-giving and they encouraged--in some strange way--meaningful and vulnerable conversation.
We almost could have just stayed out there. It seemed as though the only thing stopping us from becoming mountain people was our limited food supply and the desire for a shower...or at least a chance to put on some deodorant. Because God was in the mountains. We could see God's glory revealed in nature. I thought maybe it was the clean, thin air that made it easy to think and communicate with God--but as I continue to think now, I understand the closeness to God was in our release from the pressure of a very broken world. We had somehow left the brokenness--almost as if we had all crowded into the back of a wardrobe and ended up in a magical land...minus the talking beavers and horse-people.
No wonder Jesus and John the Baptist and other bible figures left for the woods or the desert on a regular basis.
God, God's creation, and our existence made a whole lot more sense at 13,200 feet. So why not stay up there?
Mark (one of our guides) read an excerpt from The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis on the last day. I had never read the book, but the quote talked about removing oneself from society. It seems too good to be true up above. It's care-free, beautiful, and holy. Lewis comments, though, that we weren't meant to remove ourselves from everything for more than a short period. We were meant to live in the valley. The valley may be filled with brokenness and pain, but it's where we need to be. It's where we face the challenge of following Jesus.
Following Jesus was too easy up there.
The wilderness was only a vacation. And now were back to harsh reality. It's ugly but God's telling us to do something about it.
I was inspired yesterday to start writing this post because my friend Kevin put a verse from Revelation on his facebook page. It said, "and i took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when i had eaten it my stomach was made bitter."
Sometimes I pick up the bible thinking--this is going to feel good--just like the spiritual connection we felt with God I felt in the San Juan mountains--it tasted like honey! But it doesn't always feel great later. Sometimes (all the time?) we pick up the bible and meditate and leave with a sour taste. I'd guess that's probably the sour taste of conviction and calling. Living in the valley is tough, but it's where the rubber meets the road. It's sour and ugly and SO beautiful all at the same time.
...it helps, too, to look back at the amazing pictures we took in the mountains while we're in the valley.
Love you guys!
Some of our kids worshiping on the top of one of the peaks we climbed
Mike and Mark (one of our guides) on top of another peak!
Mike helping Kassie (one of our campers) up a difficult climb
Awwwww.....us on another peak:)
Beautiful sunrise at a beautiful campsite
