Safe in the Shelter of His Arms

I've always considered myself quite adventurous especially when it comes to mountain climbing. When I found myself in some beautiful mountains for a retreat with dear friends, I was thrilled thinking of exploring the rocky terrain around us. My sisters and I had grown up with rocks and sand as our playground. I felt comfortable climbing over boulders and scrambling up steep inclines. What I wasn't prepared for was the snow. 

Our first day there large fluffy snowflakes fell fast and thick covering the ground and trees. I was spell bound by the beauty all around us and excited to go out in it. I definitely did not have snow gear, but thanks to my creative friends, I was able to insulate my feet with some borrowed woolen socks and water proof my sneakers with plastic bags around my feet. I threw on all my layers with a rain jacket on top and we were off!! 

The beginning of the hike brought a clear dirt road with a spectacular view to the sea below. With the sun radiating from a brilliant blue sky and sparkling off the snow, our spirits soared. I forgot about the tension in the world - the rumors of troops being on the alert and the division that riddled the land I stood upon. I forgot about the wild dogs that roam the mountainsides, and my own fear of running into one. The beauty of the panorama in front of me drowned it all out. 

As we progressed up the trail some of the hikers began to grow weary. In addition what had been a cleared dirt road now became a snow covered road with only two tire tracks running along it. Finally, even those came to an end and we were beginning to trudge through snow close to a foot deep in places. At this point. two of the hikers decided to turn back, but one lady wanted to continue and I couldn't let her go on her own, could I?

As we contemplated the snow slope before us, the clouds began to roll in. I shivered wondering what the way ahead held. My friend who had experience in hiking in snowy mountains and was wearing proper hiking boots, seemed calmly confident. So, I swallowed my hesitancy and followed in her footprints. 

Earlier before the snow had fallen, she and I had found some of the markings on rocks which our local friend had told us were bullet marks. I wondered what was like when the militia were hiding in the mountains and tensions were high. Thankfully, today all was calm and that was a thing of the past. 

Suddenly, my foot slipped and as I fought to catch myself on what I thought was solid ground, my other foot sank deep into the snow. It felt impossible to know how deep the snow was and where to put your foot next! We were moving very slowly down towards a small valley. Looking ahead I could spot a barbed wire fence, then next thing we knew were looking down into what seemed to be an army base. Machine guns parked at the corners, camouflage covers over trucks and dwellings. I froze. What was this? Was it ok for two women to be wandering by? Would they shoot us? 

My friend remained calm and pointed out that the whole place seemed relatively abandoned. I wasn't so sure but tried to calm myself down as we continued the treacherous descent. My already taut nerves jumped when we heard a man's voice shout in the distance. Not seeing a further movement or hearing anything else, we decided he was talking to someone else. Finally, we made it into the valley and began to put space between ourselves and the base camp. I began to breathe more easily and walked with a bit more confidence. 

The dirt path we had been following began turning up another hill and we started to see signs of civilization again. Suddenly, out of nowhere a dog came running at us barking and once again I froze. Or actually I think jumped behind my friend, because even though my brain knew to not show your fear to an animal, my body did not listen. Instead of reacting, my friend chided the dog in an authoritative tone and he tucked his tail between his legs and went off. I breathed a sigh of relief. 

From then on, I was on dog alert and my friend had a large stick - just in case. When we finally crested the hill and saw our retreat lodging in the near distance, I had never been so happy to see a building with four walls. Miraculously, despite all the trudging through snow, the grocery bags around my feet had held together and I was relatively warm. My rose tinted glasses were gone and I now knew the real trials and treachery of climbing through the snow. 

As I pondered the perils of our trip, I thought about the parallels of life. How often do I rush off into my day without the proper apparel? Or stumble into a battle zone completely unprepared because I really wasn't paying attention? What about the fears in my life - do I react and run away from them as soon as they rear their ugly heads? Or do I stand boldly in the face of fear, responding with calm authority? I know now that despite the beauty of a snow covered rocky face, it can be one of the most treacherous adventures. Just like in our lives, sometimes the most beautiful and seemingly easy seasons of our life, can be the most character building and trying times. 

What is your journey like today?