I never realize how safe my mountains make me feel…
until they’re not there.
And one place that never fails to offer this reminder is the beach.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the beach. We didn’t grow up as a beach-going family, having another vacation tradition that continues even now. But despite my late start and relative few beach vacations, I always enjoy them.
The vastness and power of the ocean amaze me.
The sound of waves crashing soothes me.
The laughter of children and the calls of seagulls charm me.
And one thing in particular always stands out to me.
I feel vulnerable when I’m not surrounded by mountains.
It’s not a panicked feeling. More like a quiet awareness. But still, it’s there.
“‘For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but My steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and My covenant of peace shall not be removed,’
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.”
Isaiah 54:10
As stable as my mountains seem, and as safe as my home feels nestled among them, it’s really just an illusion. Because secure means “free from danger or threat,” and there’s not anything about mountains that will actually protect me from a real and present danger.
As stable as they seem, they’re really just another fragile part of this fragile planet we fragile humans are inhabiting for a while.
The truth is, all of life is fragile.
Our relationships.
Our employment.
Our health.
Our money.
Our roles.
Our time.
Our very breath.
None of these offer a hope that carries promise. Yet how often do we misplace our hope in these very things?
There is only one source of a hope secure.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah.”
Psalm 46:1-3
If you’re feeling hope-less, despairing in the face of a trial, defeated in the midst of a hardship, spend sometime evaluating where your hope has been placed. Or misplaced.
“Be still and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10
My God is my Hope secure.
Jennifer, I feel the same way about my mountains.While I like the beach, it is not in my blood like my mountains! I was just thinking on the weekend about the illusion of safety that I have living in a small mountain town. It is just that…an illusion. Evil can find us here, too. I’m so thankful for the peace that I feel in Christ.
Amen, my friend. He’s the only sure source of peace, particularly in these uncertain times we’re facing. “Oh, for grace to trust Him more!”
Jennifer, I’m with you on the mountains. I love the beach, but nothing can compare to the beauty of the mountains and the majestic trees that call them home. I find God there often. We have a home in the mountains in NC not far from Asheville but currently live in Northern CA. The mountains in both places are just breathtaking. You are a wonderful writer. Nice to meet you.
Thank you for your kind encouragement, Kim.I’m glad to find a fellow mountain-lover and blogger in you. 🙂 I haven’t visited the West Coast, but I would love to someday! Thanks so much for reading.
You always have such a way of drawing things out and bringing an important spiritual truth home. I love this! I grew up in Florida- no mountains- but I have lived in two different basin cities as an adult and the Lord gave me Psalm 125:2 in one of those places: “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds
his people both now and forevermore.” Visiting from G&T 🙂
What a pertinent Scripture verse for this topic! Thank you for sharing it, Arabah, and for stopping by. Much love!