Beware The Descent

After our hosting stint at Spring Canyon (here), Pat and I moved on to Klipchuck campground in the Okanogan National Forest. One of the goals that Pat had set for himself (and me) this summer was to hike the Driveway Butte trail. Not because it was popular. Not because it was scenic. No... Pat's primary reason for wanting to hike the Driveway Butte trail was that it was CHALLENGING. And the trail-head was conveniently located at Klipchuck campground.

On a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most difficult, the Driveway Butte trail must be a 5! (This is Pat-- humpf! 4 max!) The trail gains 3000 feet in 3 miles. Anything steeper would be a rock climb! (This is Pat-- humpf-- again.) And hiking this trail had been out of the question for Pat for more than a decade because of his weight. But now that he has shed 80 pounds, he was ready for a physical challenge. And the challenge had a name, "Driveway Butte."

We had begun training for the hike in June. And now, in early September, I was looking forward to getting it over with! We checked the weather forecast. We packed first aid supplies. We layered our clothing. We took extra food, water, and emergency provisions. We agreed on what time we would begin the return trip and on what weather conditions would cause us to turn back sooner. We told the campground hosts our plans. We covered every contingency that we could anticipate. And then we began the ascent.

The first half-mile was the most taxing. Loose rocks and protruding roots kept our attention focused on our footing. Then we cleared the forested area and began to scale the STEEP switchbacks on the bare south-facing slope. It was slow going. Isolated trees and spectacular views became excuses for frequent rest stops. We kept reminding each other that the return trip would be DOWN. After three miles and almost four hours, we topped the ridge. We were 3000 feet above the campground and felt pretty smug about our accomplishment.

At the agreed upon time we began the descent. The first mile was unremarkable. Then the trail got steeper and our joints began to protest. Pain and stiffness set in, and we grew concerned because we knew that the worst part of the descent was still ahead. As we continued downward, ankles, knees, and hips ached mightily. And we realized with alarm that just one misstep could spell disaster for either one of us, and that the other one would not be able to provide much help. It was a long, slow, silent descent... we didn't dare stop for fear that our joints would seize up and that we would lose what little daylight remained. It took us four hours to cover the three miles down--just as long as it took to go up--only this time there weren't any rest stops!

Pat and I had a wake-up call that day on Driveway Butte. We had anticipated the challenge of the ascent, but it never occurred to either one of us that the true test of our physical limitations and abilities would be the descent. And that oversight could have been our undoing.

Many of make the same mistake in our spiritual walk. We focus on the obvious-- on what we think it might take to guarantee success, or on what might make us feel good. But we overlook or deny the possibility of declining health, financial reversal, sudden death, or the loss of physical and mental abilities that come with aging. We know that these things happen to OTHERS, but we choose to believe that they won't happen to us. And we ignore the challenge of the descent to our peril.

But the descent will come. Our limitations will be revealed. Our faith will be challenged. And we will be tested in ways that we haven't anticipated. Are you prepared for the challenge of the descent?

Pastor Kit

Got Rocks?

Many of us are familiar with the adage "if life hands you lemons, make lemonade!" My take on that would be "if life hands you a pile of rocks, make a rock garden!" Last week I reflected on my numerous rock gardens as I was hurriedly trying to finish yet another one during a break in the stormy fall weather. And I realized that each rock garden had been constructed in response to events that had upset my "normal life"--and me!

My first rock garden was built after we had removed a tree whose roots had broken our waterline, driveway, and sidewalk. I constructed another rock garden after Pat had our old diseased cherry trees cut down in the back yard. Although the trees needed to come down, that didn't keep me from being upset with the change! So I started piling up rocks...and digging...and buying plants. Then after my mother came to live with us, we could no longer take our extended late summer camping trips. I added another rock garden. When Mom fell and broke her femur, I put in a lengthy rock "border garden" and a second rock "coffee garden."

By the time Pat began using his vacations to travel back east to support his family during a spate of illnesses, deaths, and other concerns, I had used up my stockpile of rocks. So I stripped all of the wallpaper in our house and redecorated in colors that better reflected my taste. Many of you followed along on that project as I wrote of the experience in my devotionals (here).

Looking back, the last six years have been rocky ones for both Pat's and my families--no pun intended! But each bump in the road forced me to redirect my energies. So our yard is now landscaped, our inside walls are redone, our rooms are redecorated, and I am more physically fit than I have been in years--all because I needed to find meaningful ways to redirect energy, stress, and emotions during difficult times.

The occasion for the construction of my latest rock garden was twofold. First, the aftermath of our "Hidden Pressure" adventure (Nov 1) had left me with yet another pile of rocks! And second, our neighbor built a six-foot fence between his side yard and our front yard. This had required removing some mature plants between our two properties. And rock pile plus stark fence plus bare ground equaled rock garden in my thinking!

Got some rocks in your life? Consider your choices. You can allow them to become unsightly litter in the landscape where they may damage mowers and stub toes. You can pile them in some obscure spot and think that "out of sight is out of mind"--and overlook the fact that your "obscure spot" might be someone else's view. Or you can turn them into a foundation for a rock garden whose beauty will bless you and others for years to come. The choice is yours. Got rocks?

Pastor Kit

Hidden Pressure?

There are some phone calls that you don’t want to get. Such was the case a couple of weeks ago. I had just walked in the front door when the phone rang. “This is Lisa at Oak Harbor Utilities – are you Mrs. McCartney? Do you reside at … ? Are you currently at home? We’ve been monitoring your water usage for the past week. It seems that you have a major leak in your water line. I’m sending someone over now to turn off your service.”

While Pat and the utilities guy crawled around under the house, I walked through our front yard … and stepped into a hidden pool of water. I relayed my discovery to the guys. After crawling out from under the house, Pat began digging. He encountered a LARGE rock about 8 inches down but had to quit digging and go to work. The next day he called son Nathan for help. More digging ensued. Then they discovered a second LARGE rock adjacent to the first. Passersby gawked. Neighbors commented. Most thought that we were digging in the wrong place because no one would ever knowingly dump two LARGE rocks on a water line!

Removal of the rocks required levers, a tow chain and our four-wheel drive truck. Each rock weighed at least 200 pounds. More digging uncovered the plastic water line … split by decades of ever increasing pressure as the rocks slowly settled in place. Neighbors shook their heads, incredulous that someone had INTENTIONALLY dumped the boulders into the trench on top of the water line!

As I thought about this “cover up,” it dawned on me … aren’t we sometimes guilty of doing the EXACT same thing? Don’t we sometimes try to bury unconfessed sin … addictions … pain … worry … neglected responsibilities? We cover them up with busyness, good works, regular church attendance, lies and/ or denial. Don’t we think that what is hidden won’t be discovered … won’t cause any real harm … to us … or to others?

Years – decades – may pass while the hidden pressure steadily increases. The flow of the Spirit slows to a trickle … or may become blocked altogether. Then something finally yields to the pressure. Something cracks. What is hidden comes to light. Pain and suffering ensue. Relationships, reputations, and careers may be destroyed. And people shake their heads in disbelief … incredulous that someone intentionally dumped something so egregious on top of something so fragile … then covered it up … thinking that it would forever remain hidden … causing no real harm … at least not in the foreseeable future.

It isn’t too late to deal with that hidden pressure in your life. Dig it up. Expose it to the Light. Seek assistance if it is too big for you to handle alone. Do everything necessary to remedy the wrong before it is too late … before the flow is completely blocked … before the Living Water is shut off.

Pastor Kit