Get thee up into a high mountain.....

Or even one that is not so high, but high enough......

You who bring good news to Zion,

go up on a high mountain.

You who bring good news to Jerusalem,

lift up your voice with a shout,

lift it up, do not be afraid;

say to the towns of Judah,

“Here is your God!”

Isaiah 40:9

There is something very good and healing about climbing a mountain, even a hill. You get a clearer perspective on things, you see things down below, sounds rise up as you climb higher, and you forget your problems for a bit, they tend to shrink while you are up there. Your eyes are on the trail. Where I live you have to watch for rattlesnakes sunning themselves on the rocks.  Believe me, my eyes were peeled yesterday. It was a gorgeous day in Arizona, the sun was shining brightly and there were many out enjoying the day and I was sure the snakes felt the same way......but there were none that I could see.

It was so what I needed. With my first step I felt lighter, with every step I felt my heart lighten, my spirits lift.

The Bible talks about going up to God's holy mountain.....that captures my imagination because I love hiking. I grew up in California, hiking the Sierra Nevada in Yosemite.

The desert is a bit different, but the feeling I get is the same. Climbing for the joy of it, the view all along the way.

Channels of communication tend to open up........You don't have all the interruptions, the telephone, computer, chores, television....it's just you and your companion and the sound of footfalls. You hear a birdcall you may not have heard before and you ask, "What was that?" In a few short moments you are reconnected with someone and something you have missed.....maybe without even realizing it. Conversation flows freely.

The time is precious and I feel I something has been redeemed......I have been redeemed.

Thank you God for reminding me again why I need to do this....

Here is Elaine on the trail......she insisted that i was trying to kill her for taking the Huff and Puff trail, yes, it is actually called that.....She thanked me later!

It was a very good day.

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD

will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

 

 

all photos taken from my iphone