If Mountaintops Are Where It's At, Why Aren't I On One?

I absolutely love the "mountaintop" experience--when I'm feelin' the love of God and singing His praises at the top of my less-than-pitch-perfect lungs! Don't you?

As a Christian person, I have felt that I should be on top of the mountain a majority of the time. After all, I believe in the goodness of God, His forgiveness, His fathomless love, and all the stuff I've learned about how He is for me and not against me. So why do I seem to be so often in the valley, trying to scratch and crawl my way back up to the top of at least a foothill?

Lately, I could blame it on the pandemic. That seems to be the catch-all for anything that ails us these days.

I could blame it on the fact that I've lived in a Prairie province all my life so I really know nothing of mountains anyway.

I could blame it on a medical reason - like my Serotonin levels are out of whack. That may be arguable and has been found to be true before.

Any of the above might serve my purpose but I think my biggest problem is that ... I'm the one fighting the valley and doing the crawling. This is because I am notoriously impatient and can't seem to wait for anything. I want to feel good and lets face it--the valleys of sadness, depression and grief do NOT feel good!

I guess if God wanted me on the top of a mountain 24/7, He would provide the gondola and give me a one-way ticket but ... that's not how He works, is it? Geographically, there would be no mountains without the lowlands.

If you feel like you're in a deep valley right now, please know that you are not alone. I have been there--so many times, and God is there for us--with open arms and a love that encompasses our valleys, the tops of our mountains and every place in between--even, and maybe more, when we're not feelin' it!

The best news is--God's faithfulness is not dependent on mine. (Romans 3:3-4a - What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! NIV) He is still faithful, even when I lose sight of that, and that's only one reason why I love Him so much!

Full disclosure: I'm ridiculously far from perfect and, although I probably should be, I'm not adverse to write candidly about that. I love to laugh and I try to find the funny in life, which is easy on the mountaintop and much more difficult in the valley. I also like the strangeness that I see around me and sometimes I enjoy making fun of it. So, if you're cool with that, you may enjoy some of the meagre thoughts I write. If not, that's okay too.

Either way, may you feel the love of the one true God who sent His Son because He loves us SO much--on top of our mountains or in the depth of our valleys!

Pattie Janzen

Author name: PD Janzen