9/1/2024

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Dear Fairview Community Christian Church, 

 

I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to write about some recent experiences I’ve had lately and hopefully connect them with the Christian life. This month I had the privilege of visiting a dear friend of mine in Nevada. While I was there we went on a hike, and I don’t know about you but I don’t go on hikes very frequently so I didn’t really know what to expect but I was optimistic. We were on the Ruby Mountain Range and our destination was Lamoille Lake. We began our ascend feeling good but that good feeling soon turned to questioning my life choices. It wasn’t long before I started huffing and puffing. We had two miles to go uphill and I was beginning to wonder if we would ever make it. And yes I realize two miles is really not all that long but when you’re in the midst of physical exhaustion even a few steps can feel like a mile. All this to say after a grueling hike up the mountain we did eventually make it to our destination where we then relaxed and prayed by the lake. It was so beautiful and so peaceful. That's what made going up the mountain worth it. We would have never had that experience without fighting our way there. 

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So You may be wondering what does any of this have to do with being a Christian? Well what it reminded me of personally was that the Christian life in many ways is like a long hike through the mountains. It’s filled with peaks and valleys. Sometimes the ground is flat and easy to walk. Other times it's all uphill and your legs are on fire and you feel like you’re gonna die. But there's a part of you that knows if you keep pushing you’ll make it to that mountain top. Understanding that the Christian life is filled with these highs and lows helps us to put things in perspective. Things will not always be low and things will not always be high. In many ways it's a call to trust in God wherever you find yourself on your journey. If you're on the mountain top then praise him, if you're just starting praise him and depend on him all the way up. 

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The last thing I’d like to share with you about my journey to the mountain is the importance of community. Thankfully I was able to climb the mountain with a dear brother in the Lord but in all honesty if it wasn’t for him I probably would've never made it. Firstly, because I wasn’t familiar with this trail. I would have easily gotten lost but I had someone to show me the way. Secondly, I had someone to encourage me when it got hard. If I was by myself it would have been very easy to become discouraged and turn back but I had someone there to keep pushing me forward no matter how hard it got. We need people. No matter how much we may want to do things by ourselves, we need each other. The Lord continues to show this to me month after month. I pray this would be encouragement for you. If you find yourself alone, don't be afraid to reach out. More than anything, if you are alone, know that the Lord Jesus is with you. He will help you ascend the hill if you will trust in him. 

 

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

 

Blessings to you all,

Pastor Ben