Psalm 72:3
THE MOUNTAIN TOP
Summer camp has a reputation for giving youth a mountain top experience in their faith. Two years ago, our students were looking for a literal mountain top experience and were obsessed with hiking the trails in the mountains of Asheville, NC.
On the final morning of camp, one of our students led us on a several mile hike to the peak of Rattlesnake Summit. We left for this hike around 4:30 a.m., hoping to reach the final destination at sunrise. Since this was our third hike of the week and I was more out of shape than I realized, this climb was next to impossible; I was struggling to keep up with our eager students. I felt my hope of reaching the top slipping away.
However, after two hours of hiking, we reached our destination with several minutes left until sunrise. What happened next was beautiful and amazing! Our students spread out around this mountaintop, took out their Bibles, and spent time with God as the sun rose. We spent the next twenty minutes in silence basking in the beauty and peace that the mountain-top experience can bring. The words of this Psalm rang so true that morning. “Let the mountains bring peace to the people, let the hills bring righteousness.”
After taking pictures, we headed back to camp to join our fellow campers for breakfast. This snapshot of camp is a beautiful image that reminds us of the importance of finding the places of peace in our everyday lives. With this peace will always come the reminder that God is with us and this life is as beautiful as the sunrise on Rattlesnake Summit.
–Taylor Dawson