From The Mountain Top

"The steeper the mountain, the harder the climb, the better the view from the finishing line" Anon

When we first got married, someone gave us a word from God about our marriage being full of many mountains that we needed to climb (rather ironic, considering the job that Jared is now doing...). This week, I have been to school to find out about Jonah beginning reception in September and it suddenly dawned on me that I am almost at the top of this mountain.

By the time Jonah starts school, I will have spent the last 11 years with a small child or baby at home. This has been one long, hard, mountain to climb. A mountain full of rocky paths and several dips that threatened to bring me crashing back down again. Having small children at home is exhausting, exhilerating, monotonous, sacrificial and rewarding all in one go. It feels like there will never be an end to it. Plodding, with one foot in front of the other, sometimes my eyes drifted away from the goal of the top of the mountain. It was hard to stay focused. It was painful to keep going.

And now, I am rounding the last corner. The mountain top is in sight. I can almost grasp the relief and the pleasure, and I can look back down and see the road I have travelled.

My road was not an easy one. I still bear the scars, inside and out, but there was never a time when I walked on my own. My faithful, gracious God was with me every single step of my mountain climb. Every time I stumbled, he pulled me back up again. When I took a wrong turn, he directed me back onto the path. When all I could feel was pain and sorrow, he comforted me. When I wanted to give up, he gave me hope. When I was hungry and thirsty, he nourished me and quenched my thirst. When I felt utterly alone, he gave me friends to walk the journey with me. When there were days I wanted to hide away in a cave, he gently led me out and warmed my soul in the sunshine of his truth. When my eyes got fixated on the plod, plod, plodding of my feet, he lifted my eyes to show me a better view.

As I reach the summit of this particular mountain of my life, I can see the plaque with the mountain's name inscribed into it. This mountain is called "My Faithfulness". My life, for the last 11 years, has been a testimony to God's incredible faithfulness. I don't know what the next mountain will be, but one thing I have learnt on this climb is that my God journeys with me. He doesn't leave my side. He leads me gently to the summit, from where the view is an awesome picture of his faithfulness.