We live in a magical land
of disappearing mountains… I wish I was
kidding.
We are fifteen minutes,
at most, from the bottom of the Sequoia’s and on a good day I can see them from
my front yard; giant, glorious, snow-capped mountains. And then there are the other 6 days of the
week that I step outside and all I can see is the sky. And by “sky” all I mean is the color blue. Which is far less exciting.
I have to say unless you
are from the Central Valley this concept is a bit foreign and irrational. The only way a phenomenon like this could
take place is well… in a Disney movie. Mountains
don’t just disappear. They can’t be here
one day and not the next. They are mountains for goodness’ sake.
But, there are two things
I am certain of…
I haven’t moved. I am in the
same city, in the same house, with the same front yard.
And, the mountains haven’t moved.
They didn’t wake up one day and decide to reside on some other plain
until God Himself decides they should relocate, so come Hell or Noah-high
water, they are there.
These two factors are not
up for debate. They are constant,
unchangeable. Therefore the only possible
thing standing in the way of my beautiful mountain-view, is the sky.
And in this case
specifically, the smog in the sky. It’s
tricky and blends in with its’ surroundings.
You wouldn’t even know that it was there except for the fact that it alters
the appearance of things familiar to me causing me to try my best to explain to
visitors that although it may not look like it now, there are in fact mountains
in our skyline. And when I see their
eyes roll a little- or their courtesy head nod- I say more boldly, “no, I
promise, they are there! It may not look
like it today, or maybe even tomorrow, but they are there!”
Have you ever tried to
convince someone of something that you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt to be
true?
Or… have you yourself ever
walked away from something that used to be “so clear” but has become murky and confusing?
If so, I hope you can find
peace in my mountains.
I have been through seasons
of life where I felt like God was more tangible than anything I have ever known,
but I have also been through seasons when I have felt like I was completely and
utterly on my own. On the top of the
mountain one day only to find myself in search of any mountain at all the
next. And in those moments I ask myself one
question. Have I moved?
This question can only be
answered with one of two words- yes or no… So which is it? Are you feeling confused, uncertain,
uneasy? Have you walked away from
friends, mentors, church, or even God? Have
you moved, changed, or done something to create space between when you had
peace and now? And if the answer is no,
if you know that you know that you know, that you are exactly where you should
be- then let me tell you something my friend.
Something that may seem confusing and absurd at first. Something that may even be irrational… God hasn’t moved. It may seem like it. You may stick your head out of the window of
life and be visually assured of what you believe in your heart is already true-
but it’s not.
He is there. He is for you. And He thinks the world of you.
Exodus 14:14 says “The
Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” This verse has brought
me more comfort in the last few months than any other... I shall
hold my peace. The word they use in the
Hebrew is “charash”- which literally means to be silent or keep quiet. It is a
verb, a deliberate action of controlling yourself from speaking and thus “holding”
onto peace. When I start to feel
confused or uncertain of things I remind myself of this verse. I remind myself to just stop… to trust God…
to hold my tongue… and to grip down on the unchangeable truths found in the
Word. So be it smog, storm, cloud, or
flood- whatever may be getting in the way of my beautiful peaceful view- I will
plant myself on the solid rock of Jesus Christ until it passes by. I will be immovable. Unshakeable. Certain of what my eyes temporarily cannot
see. I will HOLD my peace until
everything clears up again. And my
prayer for you, is that you will too.
Matthew 28:20
And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
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