Journey of the Soul

Lord of all the earth, I'll shout your name, shout your name. Filling up the sky with endless praise, endless praise. Yahweh! Yahweh! I love to shout your name O Lord! (Credit to Tim Hughes, "At Your Name").

I have taken a few journeys in my lifetime. Journeys of different kinds. Some with family. Some with friends. Some consisting of a few days. Others perhaps only a few hours. Some journeys are filled with laughter. Some are filled with tears. Some with both. Each journey has a specific purpose ~ maybe it is a vacation, a weekend getaway, a simple trail hike, a soul searching walk, or who knows.... As we all know, journeys can be those of the heart, of the soul, of the psyche, of our endurance, of our courage. They can be journeys of strength and testing. Regardless of the purpose, I have come away from each journey with something learned or something gained. Strengthened in body, mind and spirit.

While all of the journeys of my life are memorable, there are those that stand out as soul searching journeys. These are the journeys that stretch me and test me. They bring me closer to my God and teach me to cry out to him. To exhibit courage and reliance on him. To place my faith in him and to trust him and to believe not only in his ability to carry me through, but in my own ability to succeed and endure. God's grace is enough for me. His mercy endures forever. He will never leave me hanging. That is why I so enjoy the journeys of my life that allow me to test my endurance and my reliance on him.

Let's say I am something of an adrenaline junkie...as it pertains to hiking. I don't really like doing things that are scary, but I do enjoy adventures that test me physically and through that physical testing, they test my mental strength and the level of my faith. These adventures involve mountains and trails and hiking and soul searching. You see, there is nothing like a good hike to test my soul. For starters, who can deny God's presence and the feeling (and filling) of the Holy Spirit when one is in the great outdoors? The nature, the beauty, the creation that God has gifted to us to enjoy. What a blessing it truly is. His fingerprints are all over it. Lord of all the earth I shout your name!  The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice ~ Psalm 97:1

My faith and endurance have been tested on the great Pikes Peak Barr Trail over the course of 13 plus miles and an ascent of 7,000 feet to over 14,000 feet in fog, drizzle, wind and snow; on the climb of 14,000 foot Mount Sherman in extreme and truly "Colorado" conditions ranging from sunshine to wintery, windy, blustery cold conditions at the top; or the trail to Lake of the Clouds as it ascended over uneven, rocky terrain at high altitude to the beautiful reward of clear, cool, pristine lakes surrounded by glorious green; or St. Mary's Falls Trail that seemed it would never end as we climbed and climbed in search of the beautiful waterfalls; or perhaps the favorite Red Canyon trail that somehow trapped us with a thunderstorm ~ how frightening yet exhilarating it was and how therapeutic was the laughter from that day; or perhaps a climb of the infamous Manitou Incline and the absolute mind over matter that it takes to reach the top in the 1 mile and 2000 vertical feet ascent and how amazing it is that I have gone back not twice, but a third time to endure it. Perhaps it's the challenge that keeps me coming back to these trails and endurance tests, perhaps it's the camaraderie and encouragement of the friends along side, definitely it is the growth I experience in faith and in my calling out my God as I find my way. It is a journey of the soul ~ a searching of who I am.

My most recent trip to the Incline had me more anxious than I have ever been in approaching it. I cannot say why I was so unsettled by the thought of climbing it, but more than ever I had to rely on my faith and on the encouragement of my companion that day. Once reaching the base of the Incline, my jitters waned and I was ready with adrenaline pumping. I looked up. Looked at the Incline, looked at the summit, looked at Pikes Peak, looked at the clouds, looked beyond the clouds and set my sights on God and fnishing this journey strong. We started our step climbing which seemed easy at first. Conversation flowed as we trekked along. It didn't take long for my breath to become labored as the altitude started to increase and steps became steeper. As we climbed, my confidence faded, my legs became fatigued and my oxygen compromised. I had to stop more frequently as we climbed higher. I started to doubt my ability. As I stopped to catch my breath, I uttered prayers for my companion that day, that she would be encouraged and press onward to the top. I prayed for other hikers on the trail. For their safety, for their endurance as they gasped to catch their breath. One particular gentleman concerned me, but he too pressed on. This journey of strength is not an easy one for this soul. I continued on and as I did, I continued to call upon my God. I freely prayed to him ... step after grueling step. I also uttered the words of the Lord's Prayer as I climbed. One word for each step I took. Slow and steady. Slow and steady. Stopping every 100 or so steps to glance at my companion, check on her, encourage her, and continue on. Continuing on in my journey of the soul. Looking upward to my God. Searching .... ever searching for the strength I needed to complete the journey.

Together, we completed this journey on this recent March day, my companion and me. We finished the race. We finished it strong. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith  ~ 2 Tim. 4:7  As we reached the summit, I praised my God. I praised him for the strength I had to complete the journey to the top. And at the top we reveled in his glory. I gave him the glory for me completing the task I set out to accomplish. For he is good and is worthy of all of my praise. So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. ~ 1 Cor. 10:31  

This journey, like all of the others before, was truly rewarding at it's summit and at it's end. For at the summit and all along the way, creation sang it's story. In the sky, in the trees, in the clouds, in the rising sun, in the story of creation all around us. The story of all that is good and great and created by God for our enjoyment, for our recognition, for our praise. How can one not praise the mountains and skies, the beauty all around.

My life is a journey. It is a journey of the soul ~ a searching of who I am. I am a child of God. Dependent upon God and upon my savior Jesus Christ to carry me through the good times and the bad. To him I give the glory for all. I proclaim his goodness, his greatness, his righteousness. He is the God of all. I love to shout your name O Lord!

The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the people see his glory. ~ Psalm 97:6 

To you all, I wish you a journey ~ a journey of the soul.

The Storms of Life

Life brings sunshine and happiness. Life brings laughter and joy. Life brings pleasure, fun and rewards. Life brings meaning to our days in more ways than we can comprehend. Life can be amazingly complete as we revel in all that we have and all that God has blessed us with. We rise each day and go through the motions . At times everything just seems to simply exist, perfectly. Day in and day out life moves on. It rolls like clock work and we fail to give it another thought. We fall in to the routine of normalcy. Life is good and life is blessed.


And then the wicked ugly clouds roll in. Darkness overtakes us. The storm commences. Thunder cracks and lightning strikes. Hail pounds against us. Raging winds threaten to destroy us. Drenching rains threaten to wash away whatever security, comfort and consistency in life we have.

For my family, we have had a nice long run of normalcy. We have been blessed with normalcy for quite some time. It has been on the busy and chaotic side of normalcy, but we have been happy, content and healthy.

Five days ago, that changed. Our pastor's sermons from Ecclesiastes suddenly seemed to take on more meaning .....

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

....Last Sunday was a beautiful, warm, springlike day in early March. My husband and my son were itching to ride their dirtbikes over the trails of the local motorcross park. Nothing like the smell of bike exhaust, motor oil and dirt on a spring day to make them feel manly, free and in charge! We had family in town to visit, but I encouraged my boys to go enjoy a couple hours of "play" time on the trails anyway.

The trails they rode soon led to what would be a trial in our life. A trail they had traveled before wasn't quite so kind to my husband that afternoon. He took a nasty spill into a ravine and required assistance from my son and a good samaritan to make it back to the truck. After a painful and grueling 6 mile trip, my husband and son made it home. My husband was obviously injured and in pain, but at that time we did not realize the seriousness of it. His "manly" resistance to medical care lasted just under two hours until we convinced him that a trip to the ER was absolutely necessary.

Nine hours of sitting in the ER while my husband underwent scores of x-rays, scans and tests made me realize we were in the midst of a storm. One of those storms that comes and upsets the normalcy of life. When storms hit in your life, where do you run to? Where do you seek refuge? Where is your cover?

I was fearful. I was anxious. These tests on my husband were frightening. I ran to where I knew I would find comfort. I ran to my God! I ran to the one who is a mighty fortress. I fell at the feet of the One who protects me when storms threaten to destory me.

...The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. ~ Deuteronomy 33:27 ...

... You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7-8 ...

My God delivered me from my fears. He comforted me with his words. He revealed goodness to me. Scriptures filled my mind. Songs of praise rolled through my mind because after all, God is good. He is good all the time. Even in the storms of life.

You see, I had to praise him during this time, because after all, my husband was still alive. The Lord delivered me from my fears and reassured me that all would be fine. That no matter what the outcome was, he would carry us through it.

... I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.  ~ Psalm 34:4 ...

While the time passed in the ER and we waited for test results, we learned that my husband was broken. Physically broken. On his right side ... Dislocated shoulder. Shattered shoulder. Chipped shoulder joint. Fractured upper rib cage on both sides. Ribs separated from sternum. Bruised lung and small pneumothorax with the threat of a lung collapsing. Broken left hand. He was physically broken and bruised. And I think he ego was bruised too. But sing praises to God. He was alive. He was conscious. He was not paralyzed. God had delivered him.  

After nine long hours, he was finally transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he would spend the next couple of days to begin his recovery and be observed for more severe injuries that could be "hiding". It was a long couple of days. But it was filled with many prayers and searching by me for why and where does this lead us. I don't have any clear answers to that yet, but I do know that God will reveal it to me in His time.

This season of our lives has a purpose. For whatever reason this trial has entered our lives, it has been pre-ordained by God. Storms happen in our lives.

God has ordained a time for everything. And he loves us through it all. ~ I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.  ~ Jeremiah 31:3

No one is immune from the storms .. or the trials that we all must encounter as we travel through this life. These trials help us grow ... not only in faith, but in knowledge and wisdom. For whatever God hopes to show us through this season, I am ready. I am ready to grow, to learn, to love, to be thankful for the blessings and normalcy, for the hurt and pain, for the total package. The total package is what living life is all about.