MORNING FROM YOSEMITE

"Morning from Yosemite," is what the text message to my family read at 7:03am Pacific time on Sunday morning. Saturday night myself and two friends set out on a death defying adventure to the Half Dome in Yosemite. We left Ventura at 7:00pm and arrived in Yosemite at 1:00am. At 1:30am we set off toward Half Dome.
The three of us hiked through the night and arrived at 6:30. I was cold, sore, tired, hungry, and at peace. I hadn't realized that I was in a slump until I left Ventura. I'm convinced there is a spirit of hopelessness and depression looming over California and possibly the entire US. It likes to trap you by making you believe there is "nothing to do" or that where you live is "the worst place ever." So from there you drink, or you do drugs, or you sit at home and watch TV and play video games all day.
The day I noticed it in my own life God showed me what I believe to be the spirit in my house. That night I couldn't sleep and was having weird dreams, the next morning I woke up and felt sick, God was prodding me. Thankfully I had agreed to go on this hike but as I got further from my house I began to feel sad, and scarred, and irritable, and anxious, and -- well -- HOPELESS, the spirit had begun to trap me.
By the time I had gotten to the top of the mountain God had freed me from that trap the hopelessness set for me. My body was feeling better, my mind was feeling clearer, and my soul was rejuvenated. While there God showed me that mountains are special, it is a place to find God and to feel close to him.
When Moses met with God and received the 10 commandments he went to the top of Mount Sinai where God had descended (Exodus 19:20.) When Abraham was to sacrifice his son, the Lord told him to take Issac to the top of one of the mountains in the region of Moriah (Genesis 22:2.) When Saul was to become king, the Lord told him that he would meet a group of prophets descending from the "high place" and that he would worship with them and prophesy with them (1 Samuel 10:5.) The list goes on and on and I can't help but to think that their something about finding a high place, high ground, somewhere to rise above the muck and debris that hovers in the air and just meet with God. Somewhere that is clean and pure often cold and windy but always refreshing.
The hike to the top is always hard, a mountain is the one place I can guarantee you will run into the most obstacles whether it's loosing your way on a trail or coming face to face with a bear or just being frightened when the sun begins to set and the darkness closes in, but a mountain path also most resembles your walk with Christ and when you reach those high points you are happy with yourself and thankful that God kept you safe.
Here's the catch you must acome down from the mountain. Saul had to come back and rule over Israel, Moses had to deliver God's message to the people, and Abraham had a family to tend to. When God has refreshed you and filled your spirit you must continue your work in the muck and filth and wait for the day when he takes you to the highest place the one place you don't have to come down from. My challenge to you: Find your high place, meet God there, let him rejuvenate you, and continue your work!