"I'm Going Up There?"

From Isaiah 11:

⁶The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
⁷The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
⁸The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
⁹They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

Some years ago, I took a hike up Mount Chocorua with the man who would become my husband. When we reached the Jim Liberty Cabin (pictured), I got my first clear view of the summit. I exclaimed, "I'M going up THERE?!?" The unprotected treeless summit frightened me, and I clung to the rocks when we reached the top.

A year later we climbed that mountain again, to be married. It was a slightly overcast day, and the surrounding peaks were wreathed in mist, appearing as islands in the midst of a holy sea.

Truly, we are vulnerable when we stand at the top of a mountain, when we stand in any of God's holy places.

Gracious God,
Grant us courage this day to seek you, to learn of your peace, to make the earth a holy mountain in your name. Amen.