“Lessons From Mount Eddy”
September 5, 2010
Isaiah 65:17-25
"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the Lord, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the Lord.”
Isaiah 65:17-25
Last week some of us brave souls, set aside the busyness of the season and went backpacking for a couple of days. I can condense the whole experience into one word – “delightful”! Or would it be “Awesome”! Maybe it would be “Fantastic”!
I had such a good time for many reasons. It was wonderful to leave the heat of the city and venture up into the cool mountain air. It was encouraging to me to be physically fit enough to back pack. After 4 stints in my heart and a triple by-pass operation, I didn’t know if my body would be able to carry that 80 pound backpack to dead fall lake. I thought I might fall – dead! WAIT! Do you think that’s how the lake got it’s name? Anyway - I could – and I did! What a blessing. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to summit another mountain peak.
Mount Eddy is the highest mountain in the Eddy’s, which is a subrange of the Klamath Mountains. It is the highest point in Trinity County, yes, it’s in Trinity County, not Siskiyou. And interestingly enough (for you useless trivia fans), it’s the highest mountain West of Interstate 5. It is by far the highest peak in the region… except for Mount Shasta, which is a mere 5,000-something ft. higher.
By the Way, Mt. Eddy was named after Olive Paddock Eddy, the first woman to climb Mt. Shasta. Upon attaining the summit plateau are some of the coolest mountaintop views you'll see! Almost due North, you'll see Oregon's 6th highest mountain, Mt. McLoughlin, rising from the plains. Looking southwest, the majestic Trinity Alps dominate the distant skyline. To the southeast, the tiny-looking granite spires of the Castle Crags are spotted, and in the distance, Lassen Peak shines on the horizon. Rising to the West behind Deadfall Lakes Basin are the Scott Mountains, and to the South the Eddy Range. Black Butte rises from the valley below, and directly behind that… mighty Mt. Shasta towers above everything in sight by 5,000 ft!
Mt. Eddy isn’t much compared to Mount Shasta. As I alluded to, Mt. Eddy is a little over 9000 feet and Mt. Shasta is over 14, 000 feet. But it was the only significant mountain in Northern California I hadn’t summitted. Now I can add Mt. Eddy to the list that includes Mt. Shasta, Mt. Lassen and Mt. Whitney. I guess the ol’ hoss still has some life in him!
From my climbing experience you can tell that I love the mountains. I love to backpack. I love the solitude and the beauty of the wilderness. It seems to me that when you are up in the high mountains you can almost reach up and touch God. You can see His handiwork all around you. You can see Him in the bright moon shining in the thin air and the shooting stars at night. You can see Him in the thousands of beautiful flowers flourishing in the mountain meadows. You can see Him in the awesome wildlife He created – from the cute little chipmunk to the graceful deer and even in the powerful bear. And we saw ’em all! You can smell Him in the fragrant flowers and the pungent smoke from the campfire. You can hear him in the whisper of the wind and the chuckle of the mountain streams. God is so easy to experience - and He has so much to teach us if we open our eyes and ears and senses.
The bible says,
” For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
Romans 1:20
This morning I want to share a few things I was reminded of up there in the mountains. After that introduction you are probably wondering what the opening Scripture had to do with climbing Mount Eddy. That’s the first thing I want to talk about. 1. God is an awesome Creator! Did you notice God’s heart in the Scripture? Let’s read it again.
"Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth... be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people.”
Have you ever created something and sat back, looked at it – and said, “That ain’t half bad!” Julie amazes me with her painting, her stain glass, and hot glass stuff. I look at it and it delights me. My friend, Tom Scott, amazes me with his guitar playing and song writing. Sandy draws awesome cartoons that are a delight. They make us laugh.
What do YOU do? You write something, draw something, cook something, create something – and sometimes you just can’t help but be delighted in it. It is so good! You rejoice in it. You are glad for what you created. One of the things that fascinates me; one of the things that always amazes me when I hike in the wilderness, whether it’s in the desert or in the mountains is the multitude of delightful creations that you know that only God enjoys. On top of Mountain Eddy, as I was eating my lunch, a florescent green fly came to visit me. He wasn’t green – he was florescent green. He shown like a little flying jewel. I never saw one just like that before. I never saw many of the flowers we saw. The yellow lupine and pastel alpine stars and orange columbine I knew. But there were some wonderful floral creations that were a new delight. And how many wonderful things, do you imagine, grow or live in inaccessible high mountain meadows or low isolated desert places? Why are they there? Only God can delight in them. Only God enjoys them – and He DOES! That the character of our wonderful Creator God. He loves beauty. And brings us to the next point:
2. God delights in His creation. Our God, our wonderful, awesome Creator, delights in HIS highest creation, most. He delights in His people. And His desire is that we be glad and rejoice. He delights in our delight! That’s what He created us for. He said,
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
King David is great awe said, “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.” Psalm 36:6-8
“You give them drink from Your rivers of delight!” Don’t you love that thought? God has “rivers of delight”. Jesus said He had “living water” - and He wants to give it to us to drink. God loves you so much – more than you can imagine. He knows your name. He knows everything about you. He has a pet name for you that only He knows. He delights in you. Not because you are so beautiful or good – but because HE is. And He wants you to drink deeply of His delight! That brings us to the third point:
3. Our Creator God delights to help us achieve our delight. God delights in your delight. He promises to give you the desires of your heart. The key?
Psalm 37:4-5, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He will do this.”
God is for us. He’s not against us. Jesus said He would be with us to the very end. (Matthew 28:20) I want you to know that God has wonderful plans for you! But as in all great blessings – it comes only through perseverance and persistence.
When we started up the mountain from dead Fall Lake, the trail was a little steep and dusty but we were fresh and rested. It wasn’t too bad. But after awhile we started wheezing and gasping for all the air we could in that thin mountain atmosphere. After a little rest we pushed on and were reward with a beautiful alpine lake filled with cool refreshing water. We pushed on – and again, a little weary, we came to another lake. We stopped and drank in it’s beauty. On we went. Pretty soon we came to a high mountain meadow, filled with flowers, a little brook winding through it. The marmots and chipmunks seemed to be enjoying it greatly! It wasn’t much father until we came to the saddle between two mountain ranges. One led on to other lakes and other mountains, one went to the summit of Mt. Eddy. We took the high road.
We started up – and it wasn’t long before we came to switchbacks. That’s where the mountain is so steep that you have to go back and forth and zigzag up the mountain. The trail was so steep and dusty and dry. And the only way to the top was through persistence. But an amazing thing happened. By that time we were acclimated to the altitude and out lungs had adjusted, our legs had warmed up – and we were doing okay. We felt pretty good and we made it to the top! The view was sensational. What a treat to sit on the top of the world and eat our lunch. We were all so blessed we joined hands and prayed. We thanked God for the wonderful experience.
After hiking to the top of Mt. Eddy and back down again to the lake in ill fitting boots, the prospect of carrying a full backpack out to the trailhead seemed pretty much impossible to Carren. Son Tim came to the rescue. He picked up the pack and carried it out for her. It still wasn’t easy for her, but it was achievable.
How many times has our Savior carried us? We may have to endure the trial and hardship of life, but the Psalmist says, “Weeping may remain for a night – but rejoicing comes in the morning!” (Psalm 30:5) He says, You turned my wailing into dancing! You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy!” (Psalm 30:11)
When you are on the dusty, dry trails of life; when the road you are trudging seems all uphill; when your heart is aching and your lungs are burning; when your eyes are red from weeping – remember – it WILL be worth it. Paul, who was beaten and abused and put in chains, he who lost everything says,
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” Romans 8:19
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17
Peter said, “4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” 1 Peter 5:4
There is no summit without switchbacks. There is no plateau without pain. Jesus said that it is only those who endure to the end that will win the prize. So suck it up. Or as God told Job, “Gird up your loins!” Means the same thing. Make yourself endure. Make yourself do the right thing. It will be worth it.
I don’t know what mountains you may have in your future – but I know you can make it – with God’s help. I don’t know what switchbacks you have to will yourself up – but I know you can do it. I don’t know what summits are waiting for you; I don’t know what delights are ahead of you – but I know they are there waiting for you. Green pastures and still waters. They are there, too – and so is the Good Shepherd. He promises to see us through. He promises to comfort us. So -Fear not! Push ahead! Face the future boldly! It will be worth it!
SONG: “Lord, You Are”
