Jenna, one of CFCI’s missionaries
in Costa Rica, invited her father and brother to climb a mountain with her. In
the hours leading up to the climb of Cerro Chirripo, the tallest mountain in
Costa Rica, Jenna said she felt very confident. But after the first of 14
kilometers she really began to doubt her decision to climb the mountain.
After hours of climbing, sweating
and wanting to give up, Jenna and her family made it to the top of the mountain
to warmth and food. The view was breathtaking. “There just aren’t words,
friends. There just are not,” she said. “It was one of the more beautiful
things I’ve ever seen.”
On the way back down, Jenna’s dad
related the mountain journey to life. His metaphor described the different
phases in life and lessons in each phase.
Sometimes life is difficult – like
climbing a mountain. People and situations make it impossible for us to see the
beauty around us. We are on this beautiful Earth that God created for us, but
we often miss the beauty because there’s pain and doubt and confusion in our
lives. Our focus is on the ground and the next step.
Jenna shared that in the moments
when she felt that she wanted to give up climbing the mountain, she would pray
for strength and courage. Prayer gets us through the hardest parts of life. God
gives us strength.
In life, we have to keep going and
keep pushing and begin our next stage. Jenna said, “The summit might be the
climax, but it’s not the end.”
After the climb, there is the way
down. Sometimes life is like the way down the mountain, it’s less strenuous so
we can keep our eyes on the beauty of God’s creation. The way down also shows
us how God has changed us through our hardships.
During Jenna’s journey up the
mountain, she was weak and unable to keep going. Her dad told her to drop her
pack and keep walking. So she did and he carried it for her. This is what our
God does. He sees us when we are in need and hurting and He carries us through.
His love for us is amazing and everlasting and all we have to do is trust Him
to get us through hard times.
Jenna’s journey is a beautiful
reminder of how to love and trust our Lord. Remember to keep praying for Jenna
as she continues her mission work in Costa Rica.
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