It’s time we become more intentional about the direction of our gaze.
I recently spent four days in the beautiful mountains of Breckenridge, Colorado. I was awe-struck by the views I saw from 13,500 feet above sea level. The mountains, the lakes, and the wildlife were all so foreign to this northeastern boy. I was there for a bachelor party. My friend, Matt, and I woke up earlier than most on Saturday morning and decided to go for a hike while some slept in, and others nursed the combination of a hang over and altitude sickness. We made the intentional choice to rise up and make the hike that morning, and we were the only two who left that weekend having seen the magnificent view from the peak of that mountain.
The view from our Airbnb was pretty amazing, and some were satisfied with that, but Matt and I have always been more adventurous. We’ve always had an internal drive and we have always been willing to push ourselves, and each other, to really see what we were capable of accomplishing. The view from the top of the peak revealed another town settled into the valley. There was a lake off in the distance that capped it off. It was the best view of the weekend, but the prerequisite to seeing it was a willingness to hike the mountain.
To be honest with you, I hadn’t planned to go up the mountain that morning. I was going to simply walk down to a lookout I had seen the night before and pray the rosary. Seems like a good idea, right? Go down to where I’m comfortable and recite some prayers. Does that sound familiar? I had made a commitment to myself that I wasn’t going to do anything Army related for a year after getting out last August. As fate would have it, I had just passed my one-year mark. This meant it was time to re-live those arduous days of mountain phase of Ranger School and the unforgettable days spent in the mountains of Afghanistan.
God, through Matt, sent me the audible that morning. It was a living example of our need to journey with others, even when we aren’t prepared for it. As Matt and I got down to the lookout, he asked if I wanted to make the climb up to the top. I agreed, despite the fact that I was wearing my somewhat nice jeans and had brought no water.
Naturally, the climb was much steeper than we expected. He’s in much better shape than I currently am, so he seemed to quickly scurry up what we had referred to as a hill in our earlier underestimation. When we got to the top, we just took in the view for a bit. I loved the fresh air and unbelievable 360 view of God’s glorious accomplishments. Even though we hadn’t seen each other in three years, we proceeded to have a deep heart to heart conversation. We shared the highs and lows of our current seasons in life. It was awesome, but it never would’ve happened if I had not had the willingness to hike the mountain.
God is calling each one of us to leave our comfort zones in order to experience His love in a new and powerful way. This doesn’t mean that we stop going to mass or praying the rosary, but we also have to leave space for the ingenuity of our imaginative Creator. He is pursuing your heart like a romantic young man pursues the woman he loves. This can be done through routine and normalcy, but God does like to keep things exciting. Life with Him is meant to be a wonderful adventure. And He will make it so as long as you are willing to drop your plans and hike the mountain, despite how unprepared you might feel.
I spent that weekend in Breckenridge with 12 men in a huge Airbnb tucked into the mountainside. Tomorrow, I will be staying in a bayside resort in Florida by myself. It will be the beginning of a six-day writing trip and retreat away from the world. I can’t wait to be even further won over by the beauty of God’s creation. From the mountains of Colorado, to the lakes of the Carolinas, to the beaches of Florida, this year God has shown me the marvels of His creation in a big way.
The truth is that we don’t have to spend big money to go on fancy trips to see the beauty of what God has created, or to experience adventure with Him. We can also see it in the laugh of a child, in the smile of a loved one, or in the eyes of our beloved. We can also see Him in the hope of those who suffer, in the resilient joy of those who are in the midst of mourning, and in the trusting faith of those who are in uncertain times.
Each day we have the opportunity to stop and smell the proverbial roses. We can appreciate the weather. We can thank God for the beauty of the trees and the clouds. We can delight in the time we spend petting a dog or receiving a smile and wave from a neighbor.
We, as Christian people, ought to enjoy this life.
We should enjoy life even through a pandemic. We should enjoy life even through an election year. We should enjoy life even though there is rioting and looting. We should enjoy life even in a polarized nation. We should enjoy life no matter what the circumstances.
As we do, though, our faith actually ought to push us even further. We shouldn’t just enjoy life for our own sake, but we should strive to make life more enjoyable for others.
When we choose to be the people who will go the extra mile, who will hike to the mountain top to soak in the beauty, who will allow ourselves to be transformed by gratitude and joy, we become beacons of hope and light in this dark world. This is what makes us, the Church, attractive to the world. Our beauty is what makes the truth and goodness so appealing.
There is nothing more captivating than holiness and virtue. The grace of God can and will transform us into the beautiful people we were created to be. He wants us to be His serving hands, His listening ears, His mouths that utter encouraging words during these unpredictable times. Sadly, however, many of us have lost our way and fallen into the same despair that’s promulgated by the world we live in. We are unwilling to adapt and change, to leave our nets behind and start a new journey with our Lord. God is so eager to use us if only we will fully trust in Him.
Brothers and sisters, in a time when all will point out all the bad that is happening, may there always be at least one of us present to point to the good. We all have a mountain to hike, an adventure to live. It may not be what we expected, we may feel unprepared, but God will give us the grace, the strength, and the right people around us so that we can successfully make the climb.
