I love visiting the mountains. Once I reach the top I take great pleasure from seeing so far from up so high. I can see for miles and pinpoint the places below me from where I've come. The view is always spectacular! When traveling through the flatlands of Kansas towards Denver, Colorado, I remember the place where you can start to see the Rockies in the distance. Because the mountains are so big, they appear closer than they really are, which makes it feel like forever before finally reaching them. I have found it easy to get impatient with the travel time, but it's a wonderful experience to watch the mountains' distinct beauty and mass emerge with each passing mile. The view from the valley is always incredible!

I love reaching the mountain top from a spiritual journey perspective as well. It is always a blessing to see from where and how far I've come. But though my view from the mountain top is spectacular, it is always focused on looking below and behind. For me, traveling through a spiritual valley is, at times, discouraging. I get impatient with the struggles of trying to move higher, and it seems to take forever to finally feel victorious. But, I've noticed, when I'm in the valley my only view is up. And it's an incredible view. As I keep putting one foot in front of the other, I get closer to the mountain, and its vastness and beauty emerges revealing how big and wonderful my victory will be once I make it to the top. But the most fantastic part about my valley view is the glimpse I get of Him. When I'm in the valley, I am constantly looking up, so I can't help but see Him. And as I look at Him I see his hand reaching out to pull me along, and I hear His voice encouraging my forward movement. Yes, the view from the top is breathtaking, but so is the view from the valley.