Mindy Lee Hopman

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope.  Acts 2:26 (NIV)

After a day of visiting Dar es Salaam, Tanazania (the city where Jon lived with his family) we caught an early flight to Mt. Kilimanjaro.  We landed close to the base of the mountain, then drove through the mountainside towns directly to our hotel for breakfast and “hike” preparation.

From a distance, Jon watched Mt. Kilimanjaro when he was my son’s age.
He heard his parents speak of hikers making it to the summit, but he never had the opportunity to go near the mountain himself.

We love to hike. In fact, Jon proposed to me on top of a mountain.

So, he added this short little adventure to the trip.
(He knew this would be a part of the journey I would love.)

Visitors are not allowed to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro alone.  Each group traveling to the summit must be accompanied by at least one guide (to show the way) and a porter (to carry the gear).

Our group of nine had two guides (Charles & Simon). We were only traveling with our family to the first base camp – Mandara (over a mere 8,000 ft.). We did not need a porter to carry camping gear or food supplies since were were coming back down instead of staying the night at the base camp.

We began with light hearts, but it was not as easy as we anticipated.
When we stopped for our picnic lunch, we actually thought the hike was over. Little did we know we were only halfway to the top.

Half of our group turned around and headed back to the base of the mountain with Simon after the picnic.

We continued hiking, fighting through fatigued muscles because every time we got tired, this is what we saw…

There is always someone whose load is heavier than yours.

Porters carried packs on their backs and on their heads – to each base camp all the way up to the summit.
The sweat trickled down their faces, but they continued to look strong, confident, and determined.

We charged on, trusting our guide as we faced the first part of that amazing mountain head on.

When we arrived, I didn’t realize how long we would be traveling such a steep slope for such a long period of time.

Life can be difficult when God gives us mountains we must climb. 

What kind of mountain are you facing?

Life changes constantly. Are your children in a difficult place – has their behavior been challenging? Are you looking for a new job? Are you struggling in your marriage or in your friend relationships? Are you struggling with your grades, or worried about what college you may get into?

How are you going to conquer the mountain you are facing?

Maybe you need a guide and a porter to help you get to the summit.

God wants to be your guide. He is prepared to be your porter.

Guides encourage, give direction, and show the way.

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Psalm 73:24 (NIV)

God wants to encourage you, give you direction, and show you the right path to take along this uphill journey called life.

…he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:3 (NIV)

Porters use their experience to carry the load so that the burdens do not sear into your shoulders. They have waited for you to arrive, and they are prepared to help you attain your goal of reaching the summit.

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19 (NIV)

Maybe there will be a day when we return to take the challenge to the summit. Until then, I am grateful for my daily guide and porter through this life journey.
What mountain are you facing today?

Basking in His Light

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