What's on your list? Personalizing the account of God's faithfulness.

Bird's eye view of Lake Crescent from Mt Storm King

“For your eyes have seen all the great work of the Lord that he did”. — Deuteronomy 11:7 ESV

Each year during our family trip to the Olympic National Park, I make it a point to hike Mt. Storm King, a peak looming over the majestic waters of Lake Crescent. This hike is no walk in the park (well, technically it is a hike in a literal park, but still…), but rather one best left for those who have a solid cardiovascular base and ample quad strength.  The first ¾ mile is flat, gently traversing through old growth forest lulling many-a-newcomers into complacency. However, once one reaches the official turn, the trail ascends 2100ft in 2 miles over rugged, rooted, dusty terrain.  The final ¼ mile is particularly steep with exceptionally unstable footing. Therefore, in order to reach the top one must use a series of ropes, installed by the park, to aid in their climb. However, once the summit is reached, the bird’s eye view of the lake, the surrounding forested mountains, and on the clearest of days, the ocean on the far horizon is simply stunning. It makes the extreme exertion worth all the effort.

Rope ladders to the top of Mt Storm King

Rugged Storm King trail

This year I found myself on the trail, purposefully alone, as I was seeking some solitude after a particularly hectic build-up to our trip.  As I started up the switchbacks I began to relax into the rhythm of the work, enjoying the peace. As the climb continued, and my lungs and quads began to protest, I found myself paying close attention to my watch, especially the distance and elevation metrics, calculating how much further and higher I needed to go.   Because I have done this climb multiple times, I knew precisely what to expect, where it would get steeper, and exactly how far it was to the ropes and to the reward of the top. I found myself thinking back to the first time I attempted the hike, when I was completely unaware of what lay before me, and how much harder it was mentally, and therefore physically, to keep going.  In fact, on that first climb, I didn’t even attempt the ropes out of fear of heights and what I imagined the terrain of the top to be like.  Not knowing how long, how far and how high made it much harder to endure.  But now that I can pull from my past experiences, even when tired, I know what lies ahead and that I can have confidence in my capabilities because I’ve done it before.  I know I can simply trust in my training and keep climbing. Removing the unknown removes much of the physical and mental barriers to success.  

            As I climbed, I began to contemplate the potential spiritual parallels. What strikes me about the Bible is how often the various writers continually remind their readers (and us!) of all the things that God has done for them. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts all of the ways that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt through the Desert to the Promised Land, reminding them of his faithfulness. One such example is this:

“You shall therefore love the LORD your God and keep his charge, his statues, his rules, and his commandments always. And consider today (since I am not speaking to your children who have not known or seen it), consider the instruction of the LORD your God, his greatness, his mighty hand and his outstretched arm, his signs and his deeds that he did in Egypt to Pharaoh the king of Egypt and to all his land and what he did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and to their chariots, how he made the water of the Red Sea flow over them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day, and what he did to you in the wilderness until you came to this place… For your eyes have seen all the great work of the LORD that he did” (Deuteronomy 11: 1-5,7 ESV).

From the time of Moses to the time of Paul, the people of Israel have found encouragement by recounting these works of God, as well as the many others throughout their nation’s history. In times of faithfulness, they would recite them as reminders of his goodness. In times of rebellion the prophets would recite them as ways to encourage the people to return to God. In this remembrance, then and now, God’s people have drawn strength from knowing how God has gone before them, and how others have also endured and conquered.

            I am beginning to wonder what would happen if we started to keep our own list of what God has done for us personally and for those close to us?  If we had such a list and, most importantly, regularly returned to it, reciting it from our hearts, how much more would we learn to trust in God? If, during hard times, we recited all of the previous ways that God came through for us, I believe our life path might feel easier. The climb would still be just as steep, but our brains would recall how we have endured similar situations, and the muscle memory of trust and hope would kick in, allowing us to keep focused on God and not the fear of the unknown.  I think it would be transformative. 

However, this shouldn’t be an exercise just for the hard times.  What if we regularly remembered all of the times that God has brought us great joy? Perhaps it would become easier for us to experience joy as our natural state, regardless of the circumstances.  Perhaps by personalizing this list, we may realize how often we have experienced the love of God, how miracles do still exist, and how the God of the Universe is not from the distant past but also present in the here and now.

During my climb, the clouds settled on the mountaintop obstructing any view of the lake.  All that could be seen was white. However, I could recall the beauty of previous climbs and bring to mind the images from year’s past and still remain grateful for this day’s adventure, because I had the prior experience to draw upon. That joy was stored on my list.

So what about you? What experiences from your past can you draw upon to bolster you when times are hard? What joys can you add to your list to remind you of God’s goodness, faithfulness and provision?  I pray that as you begin to practice this, your list will continue to grow and your faith with strengthen with each new step.