Don't Forget About the Mountains

As you have probably already noticed in other blogs, we’ve been doing quite a bit of climbing so far on the Just+Hope North Tour. We have ridden up three passes and plenty of other hills and mountains. It’s not too bad, though.

I could never go on a trip like this alone. I am surrounded by incredible views on every side and thirteen people who are experiencing the same thing and are rooting for me. And that makes things a little easier. On the way up a pass, the top can sometimes seem like it isn’t getting any closer. You ride just one pedal stroke at a time, and five miles feels like twenty. But eventually you reach the top, where someone is waiting for you and cheering you on with any energy they have left. And once everyone has made it, we look out over the winding road we had been on for such a long time. It’s a pretty amazing feeling. Then you turn around and usually see the very best kind of road sign. The one with the big truck going down a steep hill. The view and the downhill are so amazing because it feels like you earned them.

Sometimes life is like those passes. You know where the top is, even if it is hard to get to, and you know there is a downhill on the other side.

But mountains aren’t the only challenges we face as we ride. Here in Montana, we sometimes face crosswinds and bumpy roads that seem like they have a conspiracy to knock us over. They can be really tough to ride through; sometimes just as tough as riding up mountains. But after a few miles pedaling against the wind, there is no sign to congratulate you. You can’t look down the hill you came up or see the signs forecasting the easy road ahead. And all you can do is take a deep breath and pedal on.

Life is like those roads, too.

But just about all of the time, no matter how steep the climbs are or how bumpy the roads are or how strong the winds are, there are breathtaking views on every side. No matter how challenging the immediate situation is, it is important to look up and recognize the height of the mountains and the sound of the streams and all of the other displays of the splendor of God.

Sometimes I get used to the mountains now. I think I am a little less aware of how big they are. And I think sometimes I am that way about my God. I stop noticing that he is all around me. That he is huge. And strong. And awesome. And forever. When I am riding up those passes or pressing against the headwinds and notice the beauty around me, it always gets a little easier.

Whether it is in the mountains or the people or the stillness around me, I pray that God will use this journey to make me more aware of His presence. I never want to forget about the mountains or about my God.