A few weeks back I had the most profound experience
I had gone hiking in the mountains to hear from God and while I had a great experience, wonderful solitude, a clear sense of awe and dependence on God, yet I did not sense an answer to my earnest desire to hear from God.
I thought and prayed about it some more and decided to go hiking again 4 days later. Only this time the outcome was different.
It was a beautiful day. January 3rd should be so beautiful in the rest of the world low 60’s, overcast and breezy. It was like walking in Heaven without actually being there. The day started in prayer and was filled with many moments of praise as I discovered the rugged beauty of another section of this magnificent mountain range. About an hour and a half in I decided to stop and spend some serious time in prayer. So far I had not gotten the clear sense that God was talking to me and I knew that through prayer and petition perhaps I would be answered.
I found a small mound alongside the trail I was hiking and decided to climb it to pray. Now I should say that small is a relative term when you are hiking at the feet of 7000 foot mountains. This mound was 40 feet tall and had a slope of about 60 degrees. As I climbed up more than once I placed my hands on the ground in front of me to steady my balance. Only thing is on a 60 degree slope you do not have to bend over to touch the ground. (this should have been a clue!)
On top of the mound there was a flat boulder and I sat upon it to pray. I came prepared with my bible and decided to read from the psalms.27 I think I like that one seems appropriate given all the current adversity in my life. As I approached this favorite psalm I was drawn to psalm 28. In fact it was as if a voice was yelling in my head READ THIS ONE!
To you I call, O LORD my Rock;
do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.
2 Hear my cry for mercy
as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
toward your Most Holy Place.
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
but harbor malice in their hearts.
4 Repay them for their deeds
and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
and bring back upon them what they deserve.
5 Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD
and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
and never build them up again.
6 Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
8 The LORD is the strength of his people,
a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
be their shepherd and carry them forever.
So I did. Now of course at the time I had no idea that this was God telling me to read this psalm, I just read it. Upon finishing I continued to pray for so many things. Finally when I was done I got up and planned to continue my hike. A little further north then back to home I thought. That was the plan anyway. Funny thing about steep slope mounds, they go both ways. I carefully started to walk back down the mound taking extremely careful and small steps. About ten feet into my decent it happened, my right foot slipped…
You know there are moments that seem to stretch into eternity while others seem to be so short they cannot be recalled. I had a choice to make. I could fall on my backside and slide down the remaining 30 feet and have a sore scratched up butt or I could regain my balance.
to be continued...
