Mountain top meditation

Honoring my commitment to myself, I hiked the Kendall Katwalk today. Honoring commitment to the pole vault community, I invited former Grinnell vaulter Sachi, but unfortunately she was unable to attend. I was glad to have a redo on this one, as the cloud cover was pretty significant when I did it last year. 

I was not disappointed. 

I have been rendered incapable of sleeping past about 5am so I got an early start and beat the crowds. I had the top of the Katwalk to myself and climbed up to enjoy the view (and lunch!) I read Ephesians for the 11th time and set a timer for 10 minutes so I could take everything in. 

This is what I got - 

You know. If this is what a creation groaning for redemption looks like, what will full restoration be? It amazes me to think of Gid forming this land, His hand carefully crafting each peak and ridge. His care, His beauty. It's nothing short of spectacular. Miraculous. Awe-inspiring. I'm so in love with my Jesus. 

Ah Lord God, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power 

Ah Lord God, thou hast made the heavens and the earth with thine outstretched arm 

I also finally finished Tim Keller's Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering. It is a rich, layered book that builds a robust theology of suffering. I highly recommend it. If I had to summarize it in one quote, it would be this one, read today: 

Peace comes from a disciplined thinking out of the implications of what you believe. 

When suffering comes, and it will, our reaction is to ignore it or try to make it stop. But that will only leaves us empty. The harder, more fulfilling approach is to turn in. Turn towards your heartache. It is there that you will see Jesus more clearly and completely than ever before. 

I love the church and I love her history and I love her liturgy, including this first question and answer from the Heidleberg Catechism: 

"What is Thy only comfort in life and death?

"That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him."

If you believe that God is sovereign, that Jesus reigns, this is indeed your comfort and nothing in all of creation can separate you from the love of Christ your Lord. 

You keep in perfect peace him whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 

(And yes, this was indeed two posts for the price of one)