Hike up hill for Perspective.

      I lived in Head Waters Virginia for 3 1/2 years. From age 19-22.  I was a part of a youth camp and went to a 2 year bible college.  One of my favorite parts of my job in the summer time was leading hikes to "The Tree." It was a good up hill hike that would take us to a most beloved tree sitting on top of a large hill/ mountain.  The view was breathtaking.  There is just something about looking down at a land scape. Your perspective is so different.  I have always wondered what goes through the minds of the few humans that have gotten to see our entire planet from space.  Was it a perspective changer?  Did they wonder what life was truly all about beyond their to do list.

These are the only pictures I could find of my time in
H.W. as our office is still in boxes. 

 
     Lately I have been experiencing God leading me in an up hill hike to get some fresh perspective.  As a Wife, and Mom of 3 under the age of 4 it can be so easy to not think beyond my 4 walls.  In a combination of personal devotion time, woman's bible study, Sunday church service and conversation with my man and some amazing ladies there has been this theme of pulling back and seeing the bigger picture.  By bigger picture I am referring to God's story of redemption all through time.  I mentioned in a previous post that God and Jesus decided before they even created us how they would redeem us from the rebellion they knew we would choose.  My life story starts there.  God says in Psalm 139 that he knows all our days before there is even one of them.  He knew our substance being yet unformed. What!  How is that for a mountain top view!  Breathtaking!  Now in my life God allows things I don't enjoy but not with out a promise to work it for His glory and my good. (Rom. 8:28-29) Through out my stroy I have clung to that promise many times.  Now after the recent "hike" (financial trials) God sits with me on top of this hill I see a new landscape in regards to His glory and my good.  What if my good is wrapped up in His glory.  I believe that it is.  The word GOOD is hinged on perspective as well.
     When I worked at the camp in Head Waters I had the privilege of teaching on "Girls Night."  One night I shared my story (about being molested) and later found a little girl (age 11 or so) in a ball of tears and sorrow.  She had been raped by her Mom's boy friend a year prior and never told a soul.  She found courage to share after hearing the good God brought in my life.  She was able to start a more rapid healing process with help from her church leaders after exposing the evil!  I can't explain it completely but in that moment as I held that little girl in my arms and on my lap, a calm came over me and I said to the Lord, " It was good that you allowed that to happen to me."   I would never have chosen to be molested but I would also never trade the experience and there in loose the opportunity to share my story to a little girl who have been through much worse and never told anyone.

     In our current trials God is pulling my perspective back to a place of settling into the trial. Not trying to escape it so desperately but just going with it in trust that God is working good and glory.

  What a might lover of our soul and care taker of our human experience.