“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”  
– Psalm 8:1 

Pastor Daniel’s sermon this past Sunday reminded me of a hiking experience I had in June 2020. My husband, Dan, and I went on vacation with some dear friends of ours to Crested Butte, CO. Besides running ATVs up to the top of American Flag Mountain, being literally covered in dust, my favorite part of our vacation was a hike the four of us took to the top of Mount Crested Butte. However, it was certainly not my favorite part of the vacation until my feet landed on the peak of the mountain. Allow me to explain. 

Before we began our hike, clear in view from the deck of the home we were staying in was Mount Crested Butte, the mountain we were about to climb. She rose magnificently, almost kissing the sky, seemingly shouting Jehovah’s majesty and manifesting the glory of His creation right before our very eyes. We loaded our backpacks with a few essentials, laced up our hiking shoes, and were ready for a day of adventure. The sun was shining bright, and I remember being so excited for the day of hiking we had ahead of us.  

Onward and upward.   

As the elevation grew, my spirit soared. Our friends told us the view from the top was going to be spectacular. I couldn’t wait to get there! I was so taken by all the beautiful wildflowers surrounding me. I even saw my first-ever marmot, which I mistakenly took to be a groundhog. As we traversed the trail, however, the climb was getting steeper by the minute, as was my anxiety. You could probably hear my heart beating out of my chest when we came across a sign that read, “Extreme weather and difficult terrain may be encountered at any time.” Great.  

By this point in our hike, my friend and I had somehow managed to get ahead of the other two, and I was growing increasingly anxious. The terrain along the trail seemed to have changed rather quickly from a comfortable woody path to jagged rocks. They weren’t kidding when they warned us of “difficult terrain.” All of a sudden, it seemed the elevation had changed drastically, and I started to struggle. Fear had a grip on me. My breathing was getting harder, my legs were shaky, my fingertips were raw, and my heart rate felt as if it was off the charts with every step or jump I made. At one point, I realized I had stopped looking around to enjoy the scenery. I had stopped smiling at the bright wildflowers because I was nervously looking ahead at each step I had to take. I was locked in and admittedly, not as excited as I once was. I was concentrating more on not falling off the side of that mountain than taking in the beauty around me.  

My friend was so kind and continued to tell me to keep going. I, however, was not so kind. Numerous times, I yelled ahead to let my friend know, “I’m done. I’m getting Dan, and we are turning around.”  I specifically remember saying to him, “We have four children at home who need their parents—we should not be doing this.” I mean it when I say we were literally bear-crawling up the side of that mountain while rocks were falling around us.  

The higher we got, the more scared I was. Would you believe me if I told you I was getting somewhat frustrated with my friend? I was ready to quit, and he kept pushing, saying things like, “Jen, you’re not done. I’m not letting you turn around. No, you’re not going to sit here and wait for us to come back down.” He continued to pressure and urge me onward. It’s going to be worth it, I promise. I think I heard him say that a hundred times. 

Lo and behold, he was absolutely right! When my feet hit the ground on the peak of that mountain, I was finally able to slow down my nervous breathing, pause, and look around. As you can imagine, I quickly understood why my friend was pressuring me to stay the course–it was worth it! I spread my arms wide open and spun around in a circle. Basking in the majesty of the mountain range, the sky reaching out as far as my eyes could see, the rays of the sun so brilliant and bold all around us–it was divine. The four of us stood at an elevation of 12,162 feet, and I was in awe. My husband pointed out a plaque that was hammered into the side of a rock that read, “If you don’t climb the mountain, you can’t see the view…”.  I’m so glad I climbed the mountain that day!  

The journey up the mountain was scary, yes, but it was worth every step.  The splendor of Mount Crested Butte became a new awakening, a showcase of the majesty of God for me and my husband that day. In a single moment, as I stood there taking pictures, I realized I could only capture a small part of the majesty of God with a single photograph. Yet even what I could see and sense of Him took my breath away. How much more amazing must He be in His fullness of glory!  

Have you heard the song “I Can Only Imagine?”  As I listened to Pastor Daniel talk about his recent hiking experience, the memory of our hike was called to my mind, and I couldn’t help but think about the chorus of I Can Only Imagine. Do you ever wonder how you will react when you see God face-to-face? Two words come to my mind: breathless amazement. I want to invite you to read the lyrics of this song and reflect on the amazing glory of God Most High! 

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel? 

Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still? 

Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall? 

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all? I can only imagine. 

When we think about our earthly journey, we are reminded that some days, the climb is steep and treacherous with difficult terrain, and we get shaky and short of breath. Is our climb toward a closer, more intimate walk with Jesus worth it? You bet it is. 

Keep climbing, dear one, the view is going to be spectacular ~ 

Pastor Jen 

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Can_Only_Imagine_(MercyMe_song)