God Is a Lot Like Mt. Washington

Psalm 121: 1-3 "I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber."

When we lived in the hills of New Hampshire, I had a favorite saying whenever I would take visitors around for a tour of the countryside and the numerous scenic vistas throughout our area.  It was, "On a clear day you can see Mt. Washington from here!"  Now granted, Mt. Washington is the 2nd highest mountain east of the Mississippi River, 2nd only to Mt.Mitchell in North Carolina. Its lofty summit can be seen from miles and miles around the Mt. Washington valley and the White Mountain region.  However, it is better known as the mountain upon which the highest wind gusts in America have ever been clocked...and also where you can be wearing short sleeves when you start up the incline to the summit, and be needing a snow parka, gloves and face mask by the time you reach the top.  It was a fascinating and mysterious place to live, full of wonder and excitement...if you like changeable weather and extremely cold temperatures.  But the views!  Oh! They were magnificent!   

What was really funny, many times as I would tell our guests my favorite line about the ability to see Mt. Washington on a clear day, they would laugh at me and say, "What mountain?"  "Are you really sure there is a huge mountain right there?"  You see, quite often the clouds would roll in and they would make the mountain totally disappear.  I have actually stood right at the base of the mountain, so close that I could reach out and touch the rocks, and not be able to see it in front of my face.  But I knew it was there...I knew I could depend on it to be there even when I couldn't see it. 

God is a lot like Mt. Washington. When my days are bright and sunny, with no clouds in my eyes...I can see God very clearly. There is no doubt in my mind that He is right there with me, because things are going "my way"...everything is just fine. I have no fears, no worries, no pain, no sorrow...just happy, delightful days of joy and bliss.  However, when the clouds of doubt and anxiety begin to roll in, and the stormy skies fill my mind with worry over my future or with concern about my loved ones and friends, suddenly it seems as though God has disappeared.  I can't see Him very clearly anymore.  I begin to wonder if He is really there at all.  Others may try to reassure me by saying He's right there beside me...but I become a bit uncertain. I want to be able to see His face again, and to reach out and touch Him as before so I can be assured of His presence.

Is that bad?  Is that a lack of faith?  Maybe...but I am human. I sometimes forget all the wonderful things God has already done for me.  I get bogged down in the "if only He hadn't have allowed this," or, "Why didn't God stop that from happening?", or "Why me?" or "Why my family or friend?"  I sometimes need someone to come alongside and remind me to reach out and touch the base of the mountain again...to remember what the Psalmist said as above,

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth."  (Psalm 121:1-2)

Verses 5-8 provide further comfort and reassurance of God's keeping power and strength:

"The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."

Now that is a solid promise from God...even more solid than Mt. Washington!  I know I can depend on this solid Rock...

"On Christ the solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand..."

Yes, on a clear day you can see Mt. Washington from here, and everyday, you can know that God is right here!!  Amen!

Here is a link to a similar post about Mt. Washington entitled "I Will Call Upon the Lord".