City of Grace Mesa

When I was 19 years old, I went to Alaska for the summer. I went to work as a cook at Mt. McKinley National Park. Mt. McKinley is also called Denali, “The Great One.” Some consider it to be the tallest mountain in the world. It stands apart from other mountains. It starts at a base of 2000 feet and rises to 20,320 feet. There are other mountains that have higher elevations, but their bases start much higher, and they are surrounded by other tall mountains. The view of the Great One is overwhelming. It is always covered in snow and almost always covered in clouds. Some say that because of its size, that it creates it own weather system. It is rare that it is seen in all its glory.

The first weekend that I was there, I decided to go on an overnight camping trip and see “The Mountain.” I prepared my backpack and rode the bus into the park as far as I could. As usual, the mountain was completely covered in clouds. I hiked to a small mountain near Denali where I thought that I could get a good view and find a good camping spot.

As I began climbing up this small mountain, my attitude began going down into the pits. This was in late May, and for Alaska it was very hot and humid. The mosquitoes were out that day and they are huge in Alaska, the largest that I have ever seen. There was no real trail going up this small mountain, and I began ascending an area that was thick in brush. I was carrying a heavy pack and I began to ask myself why I had ever come to Alaska. I didn’t know anybody; I was doing a dirty, menial job as a cook. It was hot and humid. Mosquitoes were carrying away parts of my flesh and attempting to carry my pack away. I was going through thick brush with a heavy pack going up a small mountain and I couldn’t see very far in front of me. As I neared the top, I had convinced myself that after this weekend, I would pack up all of my stuff and leave this God-forsaken place.

When I got to the top of the small mountain, a strong breeze came across the peak which carried the mosquitoes away and cooled everything down. I set my pack down on the ground and looked up toward the mountain. A great wind cleared the clouds off of Denali and I was awe struck. This was the most beautiful site that I had ever seen. All was right with the world. I was never going to leave this state. I had seen the Great One. I was amazed at how quickly my perspective had changed.

Over the years there is a verse that has come to mean much to me. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So 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.”

The Great One is always there, even when we don’t see him. We are called to be people who walk by faith and not by sight. We are called to look at the unseen and not the seen. After Job went though all of his troubles, at the end of his book, we read his conclusions – “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). How have you seen God through the events of your life? How is God working behind the scenes?

Do we live our life from a temporal, earthly perspective or from an eternal, heavenly perspective? Paul says in Colossians 3:1-4, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Where is your heart set? Where is your mind set? We have been raised with Christ!

Do you remember the story of Peter walking on the water in Matthew 14:25-31? Jesus told Peter to come to him on the water. Jesus said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” As Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked toward Jesus. When Peter began to look at the wind around him, he became afraid and began to sink. Jesus reached out his hand, caught him and saved him.

In your life, there may be times of wind, of big back packs, of thick brush, of mosquitoes picking at us, of trouble like Job endured, but the Great One is there. He may be hidden from our physical sight, but look at the unseen. Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and the finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).