The Plateau

      I like the mountain top experiences I have experienced in my life.  They have encouraged me in ways seen and unseen.  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, they have been few and far between.  As for the valleys, I have had a few of them along the way.  Some have been darker than others.  And, while they may have helped me in some way, I am not going to say I am glad I went through them.  The journeys through the valleys are exhausting, painful, despair inducing times.  Yes, coming out of them have strengthened me, and I have experienced God in unique ways which I am grateful for, but the residual pain is often there.

     What I have learned through the years is that the flat plateau on the journey of faith may be the best.  It may be the most boring as well, but think about what it means when our faith journey is on a straight and level path.  It is on the level places that we train and build our endurance to survive going into the depths of darkness.  Just like when we exercise our physical bodies and build stamina our reserves and endurance are built up on the plateau of our faith journey.  And, for the mountaintop experiences, traveling the plateau allows us to be able to see and recognize when we are  on top.

     I encourage those who are struggling with the plateau to remember that the plateau is not always the bad thing it is made out to be.  We can still grow and become stronger in our faith simply by walking the journey we have before us, one step at a time.  If you have fallen into the valley draw upon the reserves you have built up travelling on the road of faith.  If you are on the mountaintop come and share with the community what you have experienced, and remember walking the path helped you to be able to reach the mountaintop.

     One last thing for this little post, remember that it is easier for the Lord to come into our lives when the road is level.  He can come in, and we can issue the invitation, when we are on top or in the bottom, but the road to our heart should be as level as possible.

"Listen! It’s the voice of someone shouting,

'Clear the way through the wilderness

    for the Lord!

Make a straight highway through the wasteland

    for our God!

4 Fill in the valleys,

    and level the mountains and hills.

Straighten the curves,

    and smooth out the rough places.

5 Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

    and all people will see it together.

    The Lord has spoken!'"  (Isaiah 40:3-5, New Living Translation)