A Mountain Climbing Kind of Girl

When my family and I went to Israel in December, we went to Masada ... a mountain beside the Dead Sea. It has a tumultuous history, but it was peaceful and beautiful when my family and I were there. To get to the top of Masada, you can ride in a cable car ... or climb The Snake Path.


I chose to climb The Snake Path. To be honest, I'm not a mountain climbing kind of girl. But I'd wanted to climb Masada for almost ten years and here was my opportunity, so I provided myself with water and chocolate chip cookies (essential for keeping up a climber's strength) and ... climbed. I took this picture at the beginning of the path up ...


To begin with, it was easy. When I was a little girl, I spent hours and hours climbing the hills and rocks around my grandmother's home. But after a while ... it was hot ... I was tired ... I wanted to stop and rest ... I thought I couldn't take one ... more ... step.

The climb stopped being fun.

It became a test of endurance.

The only way to get to the top of the mountain was to climb ... up ... one step, another step, one more step ... up ...





And ... eventually ... I got to the top. I didn't look great. But I felt wonderful! The sense of achievement and satisfaction was indescribable - I had climbed Masada ... I had accomplished a ten year old goal ... I had "conquered" the mountain. And the view from the top was awesome ... breathtaking ... indescribable!


Later, I climbed - walked, ran, jumped! - down the mountain. Before shopping into the visitor's center and running to catch the bus (which was late, so we had to wait anyway!), I took this picture - of Masada, the mountain, "my" mountain! I've climbed it and the climb changed me ... into a mountain climbing kind of girl?


Yesterday, I was thinking ... there is a "mountain" in my life at the moment. This "mountain" is comprised of challenges and difficulties and things God is trying to teach me. Probably, when I get to the top, I'll find the climb has changed me.

But at the moment it's not fun.

It's a test of endurance.

I'm tired ... I want to stop and rest ... I think I can't take one ... more ... step.

Does this sound ... um ... familiar?

When I climbed Masada, the only way to the top was up. As I climb the "mountain" of challenges and difficulties in my life, the only way to the top is ... up. It doesn't matter whether I'm a mountain climbing kind of girl or not! I need to keep climbing ... up ... one step, another step, one more step ... up ...

I know that ... but yesterday I was tired and stressed and I told God, "I can't do this ... and I don't want to do this ... please, don't make me do this!"

And then I thought of Masada - which, although I'm not a mountain climbing kind of girl, I climbed. I thought I couldn't do it - but I did it. I got to the top.

It was as if God smiled and reassured my heart, whispering, "Yes, you can do this! Come on ... and just trust Me. Remember, you can do this ... you can climb mountains!"

I'm not climbing the "mountain" alone ... I'm following my Jesus ... up ... one step, another step, one more step ... up ...

And He says, "Yes, you can do this!"

I believe I'll get to the top of the "mountain." The feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction will be cool. The view will be out of this world. But the knowledge that my Jesus knew I could do it and helped me to do it ... that will be the greatest and sweetest thing.

And maybe ... just maybe ... it will turn me into a mountain climbing kind of girl.