My young family moved to Washington in the late 70s and took up residence along Highway 2 in a little village called Startup. We fell in love with the mountain culture in that amazingly beautiful part of the world.
Later, we moved down the mountain to Lake Stevens, Washington. During that season I worked at a Bayliner boat manufacturing plant on a cabin cruiser line. It so happened that two of my work comrades were hiking enthusiasts. They invited me along on a hike of Mount Jasper one weekend.
That beautiful day had many adventures including a dangerous tumble down one of the slopes for myself and two other members of The climb team. But that’s a story for another time.
What I am remembering now is reaching the summit of Mount Jasper. The summit lies a thousand feet above a strikingly beautiful mountain lake called Copper Lake – a lake that cannot be seen from Mount Jasper’s peak except by exposing yourself to danger.
A shelf of stone winds around one side of the summit. It forms a natural walkway about 3 or 4 ft wide. As you step onto that walkway you are exposed to a thousand foot drop to that lake.
The most adventurous of our group walked on to that walkway and called to me and the rest of the group to come and see what they were seeing. They said it was unlike anything else we had probably ever seen before in our lives and we would be amazed. So of course, when those adventurous souls finally gave up there spot on that walkway, I took a turn.
As I stepped around the outcropping of Rock and on to that shelf, I was instantly struck with a deep, visceral fear. I was unable to move for fear as I looked far down at Copper Lake. One false step and I knew I would be gone from Julia and Jennifer.
But then, something amazing happened without any intervention from the rest of the team members. It was simply God showing up. As I lifted by eyes and looked at the mountain range around me a peace came over me and my heart was filled with gratitude at the vision of creation Glory that surrounded me. My thoughts shifted to who God is and how great he must be to create such a magnificent world.
In that moment of worship, my body relaxed and I was actually able to sit down cross-legged on that shelf and simply rest there. The lake 1,000 ft below me was no longer a source of fear but a site full of wonder and grace.
As I think back on that moment, I’m amazed at how different the perspective of our world is if seen through the eyes of fear instead of the eyes of faith and worship.
Jesus said to his disciples just before his death that they were not to let their heart be troubled but to believe in him. A bit later he told them that he was giving them his peace – not peace as the world gives, but the peace he himself possessed facing the awful precipice of death and hell on our behalf.
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