Climbing life's mountains with Jesus

I spent two of my college summers as a lifeguard and camp counselor in Vermont.

Camp Kokosing was a melting pot of wealthy white Jewish children and poor black New York City children because the camp's director was a Jewish principal of one of Harlem's public schools for children with discipline problems. So wealthy Jewish parents sent their children, and Harlem parents took advantage of "camperships" to get their children out of the slum for eight weeks.

I got to help out on the camp's mountain climbing expedition that included the 8-mile Tuckerman's Ravine trail up Mount Washington in New Hampshire's White Mountains. Since the elevation is more than 6,000 feet, the trek was hard for young hikers.

The first part of the trail wasn't overly tough, but after a couple of miles the climb became steeper. By midmorning excited, eager climbers became tired, cranky children forced to march up a mountain. One boy in particular, Michael, kept poking along, grumbling and complaining, and staging sit-down strikes along the way. At one of the rest stops, the trip leader decided I should fall behind with Michael if necessary and either help him get to the peak or go back down to the trailhead with him.

Since I really didn't want to get left behind, I worked hard at talking, joking and singing with Michael, sharing candy bars and oranges, and helping him along. I remember that he talked about life in Harlem and walking past dope dealers to get to school. And I remember that we finally made it above the timberline, around boulders, to the view at the top.

I've thought of Michael now and then over the years, wondered if finishing the hike and seeing above the treetops helped give him a new perspective on his hard life, and hoped he was able to rise above the high mountains of poverty, generations of welfare living, drugs, prostitution and gangs that surrounded his life. Those mountains could block anyone's view of a better life. I hope Michael kept on hiking past the drug dealers, pimps and gangs and that he climbed his way out of his viewless world.

Paul declared in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I hope Michael found the strength of Christ.

I hope, too, that if your world seems viewless right now or if you're facing a mountain, that you grab onto Jesus' outstretched hand. Psalm 59:16,17 announces, "I will sing of Your power; yes I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy" (NKJ). Psalm 91:14 proclaims, "The LORD says, 'Whoever loves me, I will save. I will protect those who know me. They will call to me, and I will answer them. I will be with them in trouble; I will rescue them and honor them'" (NCV). David exults in Psalm 3:3 "But LORD, you are my shield, my wonderful God who gives me courage. I will pray to the LORD, and he will answer me from his holy mountain"(NCV).

Like David, you can pray to God and he will give you courage and answer you when your problems look mountainous. I hope that as a Christian you have strong, godly friends to pray with you and encourage you when you face your mountains.

I hope, too, that you help the weaker ones that God puts along your life's trail. And I hope to see you at the top someday and enjoy the view with you.

June Seabaugh is a member of Christ Church of the Heartland in Cape Girardeau.