There are times in our lives when we have a mountain-top experience and
we can easily use Peter’s words to describe it. “Lord it is good that we are
here.” These moments are be very special: at our own wedding, or the wedding of
someone we love; a new job that fulfills a dream; getting into the college of
our first choice; retirement after years of hard work and saving.
AND there are everyday experiences when we can also say, “Lord is good that we
are here”: watching our child take his/her first steps; holidays with the whole
family around the table and everyone getting along; having coffee with our best
friend; good seats at the opening of the baseball season; watching a grandchild
perform at a kindergarten play. These are moments when we feel we are on a
mountain top and we can say with Peter, “It is good that we are here.” And we
thank God for these times.
But our lives aren’t always as comfortable as Peter describes. However, there
are times when we don’t want to be “here”– and would rather be anywhere else:
not sick; not without a job; not struggling with relationships; not failing at
school; not in the process of a divorce; not undergoing chemotherapy; not in
the wrong job. This past week, I was asked to lead the Opening Prayer at a
funeral in a Presbyterian Church where a good neighbor and farmer was buried.
For his spouse and son and daughter it was a nightmare. These are hardly
mountain-top experiences - during these times we could hardly say, “It is good
that we are here.” We would prefer to say, “I want out!”
For the ancient peoples, and even in some places today, mountains are special
meeting places with God. “To go up a mountain” was a term used for those
seeking a special relationship with God.
Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and ask what would listening to Jesus mean at this moment in your life? We, like the disciples, periodically need to go to a listening place, our own private “mountain top.” The photo below is a place where I find some quiet time to listen to Jesus. Take a moment to gaze upon this image to listen to Jesus.
