Beautiful on the Mountains

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet
of those who bring good news of peace and salvation,
the news that God of Israel reigns!
Isaiah 52:7 NLT
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I’ve known my husband for 7 years and, in that time, I have met all but one of his first cousins. This past summer, I finally met the elusive final one. They definitely saved the best for last – this guy has a lot of interesting stories, including his account of living and working for six months on a large, private farm high atop a mountain. It was only him, his wife, and two other guys that lived on that mountain. There would be entire weeks that they would work from sun up to sun down every day and wouldn’t see or talk to anyone but each other. His wife told me that there were times when they just couldn’t handle not being around a larger community. The nearest town was hours away, so they couldn’t go often, but they would make the trek when the need to be with people became unbearable.

I know it sounds ridiculous, but there are some times in my life when I feel like I’m stuck up on that mountain.

There are some days when I would give just about anything for a trip down Mt. StayathomeMom, also known as Mt. GrounhogDaymovie, or Mt. DoesANYONEhearme?!??!!!

I was having one of those weeks this week and then I read THIS and couldn’t believe it:

“How beautiful on the mountain are the feet of those who bring good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns! The watchmen shout and sing with joy, and before their very eyes they see the LORD brining his people home to Jerusalem. ” (Isaiah 52:7 NLT)

God knows our mountain. He has been there. He understands that we get “stuck” and don’t always have the resources to come down. He used the prophet Isaiah all those years ago to tell his people then as well his people today that we don’t have to worry. HE will come up the mountain to us and bring us home. His beautiful feet will bring me peace and salvation.

And, as if that weren’t cool enough, there is more than a promise woven into this message of hope. There is an opportunity for me – for us – to seek out other mountain dwellers and be beautiful feet to them. Right next door to me, there might be a Mt. Ijustlostmyjob or Mt. Stage4cancer. Once God shows me the way down my own mountain, do I seize the opportunity to be His beautiful feet to someone else?

That’s the goal for this week – prayerfully find and scale suburban mountains in his beautiful footprints. On belay, anyone?

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Dear Lord, I don’t know why it still shocks me that you understand my struggles. It is such an amazing comfort to know that you know my heart and you have been up my mountain. Thank you for coming to my rescue. Give me strength and compassion to scale the mountains in my neighborhood as your beautiful feet. Amen.