A week ago, Carol and I drove to the top of Steptoe Butte outside Colfax. I could say it was the high point of our 1325 mile trip across Oregon and Washington. At least, it was the white knucklist point! Steptoe Butte is a 1000 foot mountain with a narrow, one lane road with two-way traffic winding to the top. I call it white knuckle driving because there is no guardrail. And, you would roll a long ways before you stopped. So, even though I enjoyed Carol in my lap (because the edge was on her side of the car), I tried to steer away from the edge and as close as possible to the mountain.
I first realized I was White Knuckle about edges and heights in 1967 when I made a mid August assault on Mt. Hood. At a certain place, I found myself trying to step back into the mountain. Years later, when our son was about 10, I found myself on the higher part of my rough one night trying to finish a Christmas light project. I was on my stomach, finger nails dug into the shakes, shaking. Matt called out, “Dad, what’s wrong?” I answered, “I’m freaked!” I was clinging to the roof for dear life.
You'd think I'd have sense enough to avoid high places with such physiologically white knuckle reactions! Noooo! Not me! Not many years later we took a family road trip to Edmonton. We drove through Glacier Park on the way up, with an emphasis on that last word, “up”. As we drove up the valley, admiring the mountains and trees, we saw the sheer rock face of the mountain in front of us. Suddenly I saw light reflecting off glass…there were cars on that rock face! That was the “Going to the Sun Highway”…that winds up across the face of the sheer cliff with only 1 foot rock guardrails between you and eternity! White Knuckle! I leaned into the mountain.
Steptoe Butte had no guardrails! Hence: White Knuckle! I leaned into the mountain, trying to stay as close to the mountain and as far from ledge as possible.
Likewise, I find that leaning into the mountain is a good picture when it comes to avoiding the ledges and edges of life, from falling into temptation and crashing my life and my family and my friends into oblivion by some mis-step. The Message version of I Corinthians 10:13 says, No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
God’s way of escape isn’t just to avoid edges and ledges. It is to stick as close to the mountain as possible. That’s the idea God told Abraham in Genesis 17, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. (NIV)….It is only by sticking close to Almighty God that we can walk blamelessly before Him.
Lean into God, and you’ll stay away from the edges of life.
I first realized I was White Knuckle about edges and heights in 1967 when I made a mid August assault on Mt. Hood. At a certain place, I found myself trying to step back into the mountain. Years later, when our son was about 10, I found myself on the higher part of my rough one night trying to finish a Christmas light project. I was on my stomach, finger nails dug into the shakes, shaking. Matt called out, “Dad, what’s wrong?” I answered, “I’m freaked!” I was clinging to the roof for dear life.
You'd think I'd have sense enough to avoid high places with such physiologically white knuckle reactions! Noooo! Not me! Not many years later we took a family road trip to Edmonton. We drove through Glacier Park on the way up, with an emphasis on that last word, “up”. As we drove up the valley, admiring the mountains and trees, we saw the sheer rock face of the mountain in front of us. Suddenly I saw light reflecting off glass…there were cars on that rock face! That was the “Going to the Sun Highway”…that winds up across the face of the sheer cliff with only 1 foot rock guardrails between you and eternity! White Knuckle! I leaned into the mountain.
Steptoe Butte had no guardrails! Hence: White Knuckle! I leaned into the mountain, trying to stay as close to the mountain and as far from ledge as possible.
Likewise, I find that leaning into the mountain is a good picture when it comes to avoiding the ledges and edges of life, from falling into temptation and crashing my life and my family and my friends into oblivion by some mis-step. The Message version of I Corinthians 10:13 says, No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
God’s way of escape isn’t just to avoid edges and ledges. It is to stick as close to the mountain as possible. That’s the idea God told Abraham in Genesis 17, "I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. (NIV)….It is only by sticking close to Almighty God that we can walk blamelessly before Him.
Lean into God, and you’ll stay away from the edges of life.
I wonder if the white knuckles comes from your fall in the barn when you were little? You know that doesn't feel good. Smart guy to lean into "The Mountain." :) You always have!
ReplyDelete"I want to bungee jump!"
ReplyDeleteRemember that?