i wrote this about 3 weeks ago….
There can be a lot of analogies, metaphors, and similies used in this little (be prepared for long) blog. They will all fail in some form or fashion. Be prepared for it. Don’t overthink it. Just come on a little journey with me.
Tuesday is my day off this week. So while most folks are back to work today I was debating what to do. I have been mighty bored lately. Not really knowing what to do with my new found free time after I get off at 2pm and asking (begging) the Lord to show me what to do with it all.
Sidenote-I asked a friend to pray Sunday night for me for a few things. She texted back Monday that she was praying for whispers from the Holy Spirit….no, YELLING. This is one of the many reasons I love friends who pray for me. They know better what to ask the Lord for than I do some (most) days.
So I decided to head to Stone Mountain Park. I am a mountain member plus so I can get in the park for free, ride the sky tram til I puke, the train, the 4D movie, etc. Since it is off season all that is going on right now is the skytram and the hall that faces the mountain. Well, I have been about 8 times in the past few years and a couple times in college but never hiked up. I don’t know why. Timing. Or little kids.
So I hopped in my slightly hoopty Honda. Swung thru Hardees for a Cheddar Bacon Biscuit. (Oh my good). And took a drive to Georgia. All I was expecting was some time with the Lord and hopefully some Holy Spirit yelling.
I loaded up my bible, the book I am reading, my journal and my big Nikon. And headed up. And oh holy moley am I outta shape. Luckily a few places along the way were perfect for pit stops with amazing views. As I hiked up there was a couple behind me- the lady kept saying “I can’t do this” and her man kept saying “yes you can.” From their interaction and him yelling back to her I deduced that he mentioned the hike and she agreed and now she wished she didn’t. After a pit stop they ended up ahead of me and at the steepest point where I sat down to take some pictures he hollered “YOU CAN DO IT! YOU ARE ALMOST THERE!” I took that as a little Holy Spirit yelling. I indeed wasn’t going to have a lung exploded all alone on this mountain.
Oh. Did I mention that about half way up it started to rain on me? Yep. Thankfully it lasted all of 2 minutes and I was mostly in trees. That was not in the forecast. (Accuweather said LOW FRIZZ forecast though. Don’t believe them on that one).
What was interesting was along the way the etchings in the mountain. Some back to the late 1800’s. I took a picture of one. I didn’t mind the really old ones. It reminded me of the guys back in the day working at the quarry, or working on the mountain carving. But the ones from 1994 pretty much annoyed me. How did they earn their carving to Debbie?
Back on track…. As I got almost to the top there were a few metal objects still embedded in the rock. I don’t know what or when it was from but it reminded me that I am not the first, and I will not be the last up this mountain. How much of the way I was aware of my fellow hikers. I was alone, and some of them were. But we were somehow together in this thing. Some said hey. Some said “you can do it” to others as they past. Some guys literally running back down the mountain I thought “so, you have been here before huh?” Second thought “you bite. You totally way fit person while I am sucking wind and wanting a nap. After I can breathe.” Really though, If I had fallen over I know someone would have helped me. For those heading up knew how we were struggling. Those coming down had already been there.
So I got to the top and sat down. And as I sat down my ipod started playing “Healing is in Your Hands” a little Christy Nockles. It’s not necessarily the healing part of the song…but just the concept of nothing separating me from His Love. From Him. As I stood there, then sat there and listened to this song I broke out in tears.
Because as I hiked up that mountain I just kept thinking about getting to the top. I wanted to be there. To stop my lungs and legs from hurting. From my back sweating. But I intentionally stopped along the way and sat down. To enjoy the view. To listen to the people going by. The encouragement as they went up, the laughter as they came down. And I reminded myself that often that is how it is in life. I can’t just jog up this mountain. I am on a climb and there are stops along the way. And as I learn a little, enjoy the moments a little, I head on to the next place. And the pain is for my good. It is growing. But it’s the journey. And eventually the end will come- reward.
And as I sat there and started to cry my prayer was that no one would come by, I didn’t want them to think I was hurt. And for the 3 minutes I sat there, not a person walked, climbed, or passed by. That didn’t happen all the way up or down the mountain. It was the Lord’s sweet timing. To sit on the side of that mountain like I was completely alone with Him.
See, lately I have been praying so much about where I am supposed to be going that I think part of the reminder of today is to be where I am. Which leads me to the next part of the mountain story. But first, the words Christy sang-
No mountain, no valley, no gain or loss we know could keep us from your love,
No sickness, no secret, no chain is strong enough to keep us from your love,
To keep us from your love.
How high, How wide, no matter where I am, healing is in your hands.
How deep, How strong, now by your grace, I stand, healing is in your hands.
How present, our future, our past is in your hands, we’re covered by your blood.
How high, How wide, no matter where I am, healing is in your hands.
How deep, How strong, now by your grace, I stand, healing is in your hands
In all things, we know that we are more than conquerors, you keep us by your love,
In all things, we know that we are more than conquerors, you keep us by your love,
How high, How wide, no matter where I am, healing is in your hands.
How deep, How strong, now by your grace, I stand, healing is in your hands
(And I noticed right before I got up from this bit that my feet were by an etching. I smiled as I hoped it was an “old” one. ) And that is Atlanta in the background.
I headed over the top of the now cold and very windy mountain to the building that houses a little gift shop, the tram and snack bar. My plan- hot chocolate, my book, my bible, and my journal. In no order other than hot chocolate first. (It wasn’t cold til the top, and then boy was it chilly).
Found a table over in the corner with two chairs. All the other tables had families and such snacking and talking about their journeys up. I went to get my debit card out of my back pocket. Mountain membership card. Yeah. 20 percent discount on food with that, yep. But no debit card. Or wallet. Or cash. All in the car. A mile down the mountain. Ok. So dig out some change. 75 cents. Seriously?
So I sat and read some of my book. This is what I read about.
From Jen Hatmakers book- Interrupted. About how Jen and her husband had a Holy Spirit moment at a little church they visited on Easter. And How a thought/vision to the husband led to fulfillment at the end of that service in a unique way. It made me think about "divine appointments" and How the Holy Spirit will show up when we least expect it and in the most unexpected ways. (I suggest this book…it will make you rethink somethings)
And I thought “well, maybe I can ask this little family next to me for a dollar” No. I can do a few things that may be out there but I don’t NEED a hot chocolate. It’s a desire, so it’ll keep. Read some more. Consider again- let me make sure how much money I got in here. It says Coffee is 199. So I dig around and locate about 226 or so. Sweet. I practically leapt out of my chair and danced over to the hot chocolate. (this hot chocolate I have had before, and it is the good kind. Trust me. I am proficient in such things).
I walk over to the counter to pay. Lady says “hot chocolate?” Me- Yep. Her- that’ll be 257. Me- (in a shocked disappointed, not shocked disbelieving the jacked up price) oh serious?! I don’t think I have enough! I hiked up the mountain and left all my money in the car! This isn’t enough. Her- it’s ok. Just give me what you have. Me- you SURE? Her- yeah. It’s fine. I will take what you got. (I practically body slammed that money down on the counter. I later felt bad I didn’t sort the coins into like stacks for her) Me- thank you so much! I will see if I have any more change in my bag! Her- no, really, don’t worry about it. But I did. And I didn’t have another penny.
As I sat in my chair facing the snack bar (the chair was bolted to the table facing that way, or I probably would have been facing out) I fought back tears. (yes, twice with the crying today). Sweet lady let me have hot chocolate. Not that she could have put it back in the machine. But still. I came up short. Grace. Total Stranger. Me on the receiving end. I don’t tend to do this well. It made my heart swell up in thankfulness.
As I sat there and read I watched this lady- I didn’t even notice her name I was so caught up in the excitement and trying to get back to my bag to find more money. She wiped counters, tables, filled up napkins, made more popcorn, greeted everyone as they came in, then started sweeping. She came by and I noticed her name was Haddy. And I said it to myself “Haddy” like you would say a friends name. (that's the back of her head in the picture above)
And one by one the families left. And It was just me and my book and Bible, and Haddy. A friend called her on her cell. And from the conversation she had asked off for the day but didn’t get it. She needed to study but she forgot to download something and forgot there was no internet on top of the mountain. And she had a paper but it didn’t save. So she had some things to work on, but couldn’t really do as much as she hoped.
As I heard this, I thanked the Lord that Haddy was stuck at work. And was thankful for Haddy being a servant. She could have been grumpy and trying to get over to her laptop (she got it out after everyone left and sat at a table to do some work on it) but she didn’t. she took care of all her job duties and did it with a servant like attitude. I said “Lord, I don’t know if she believes in you, or she’s muslim, or whatever, but I pray she knows you. And I ask that you just bless her.” My time was wrapping up, people started coming back in, and I felt like my time was over at the top. So I left with a nod and headed back down the mountain. Grateful for my time on the top of the mountain with Haddy.
And can we talk about how fast and mostly easy the trip down the mountain was? Except the strain on the ol Longest knees? Almost at the bottom there was a man 65-70 age range looking up at me as I came down. I was walking with my hands shoved in my pockets…mostly for lack of wanting them just hanging around as I bounced down the mountain. He had his hands on his hips and said “Darling, hands in your pockets makes it look way to casual!” I told him “Sir, on the way down it is! Not so much on the way up!”
All the way home I just thought about my trip up and down the mountain. So many images. So many thoughts. So grateful.
And a stop over at Steak n Shake. Thanks to my OTHER fav sister Laura and her chillins for the giftcard. Free lunch. And Dessert. And yep. That's a Raising Canes shirt, ChickFilA jacket and Im getting the Steak N Shake hookup. Good Day.
Leave a Reply