I had a true God experience two weeks ago. You see, I REALLY enjoy hiking but this isn't something my wife particular shares my enthusiasm for. So, you can imagine just how surprised I was when on our recent vacation to the Davis Mountains, Denise got up early one morning and agreed to hike up to the top of a mountain with my son and I. What? You want to do what? This was a first! And it wasn't an easy climb. Over 1.5 miles of hiking ascending some 1,000ft to the top (and no there wasn't a Starbucks when we got up there).
What a beautiful climb it was. A huge cloud bank conceled the tops of the mountains from our view below. So, as we climbed higher, the air cooled and the mist swirled until we found ourselves moving through the cloud inching closer to the top. AND THEN...it began to rain. Wow! An experience like none I have ever had before. Finally, with our boots a little muddy and our hair a little damp, we made it to the top of the mountain and watched as the clouds floated through the valleys far below us.
As amazing as all of this was, I will be forever grateful to the Lord for allowing me to experience this moment with my wife and son. Watching their faces as we reached the top and seeing their smiles as they gazed on the valleys below and mountains far into the distance will forever be etched in my mind. In fact as I sit here at 1:15am writing down these memories, I can't help but smile. This experience has forever bound us together in a whole new way, a whole new God way. And if this is what running the race of life is all about, I can't wait to get up tomorrow morning and get back out there!
