This past Spring, I checked a big adventure off of my bucket list. I hiked the 101 mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail (AT) that passes through the Shenandoah National Park from Front Royal to Waynesboro, Virginia- just me, a 40-pound backpack, a hammock and a walking stick.

For some, the thought of walking 100 miles in the woods might seem boring. But for me, even the small things seem to hold my interest.  Being out in nature energizes me. I saw squirrels, deer, bear, all kinds of birds, and the path was often strewn with spring flowers of yellow, white, blue and purple.  However, for those who find hiking monotonous, I gotta admit, they have a point. Often the Appalachian trail passes through deep woods with very limited visibility.  It’s not unusual for you to hike for hours on end where you really can’t see where you’re going. Bill Bryson, author of “A Walk in the Woods” calls the AT “a 2,100-mile green tunnel.” Fortunately, Shenandoah National Park is full of scenic overlooks. Many of these overlooks aren’t on the main trail. You have to take a brief detour to a rocky outcrop or a natural break in the trees.  But it’s worth it.  There’s nothing quite so satisfying after hours of walking “in the long green tunnel,” to finally emerge at the summit into the brilliant sunshine of a gorgeous panoramic view.  It simply takes your breath away. “WOW, I made it.  I made it all the way to the top!”

But to a hiker who is actually on the trail for multiple day, a mountain overlook becomes much more than just another pretty view. It’s a place to pause and verify that you are actually making progress. So, after a long and painstaking climb up a steep, rock-strewn path, you can say, “I started way over there on that mountain, I climbed this one and I’m headed over that way next.” With that stunning view comes renewed perspective and direction. Such is the blessing of a mountaintop.

Beside one scenic overlook after a particularly rugged portion of the trail, I saw a makeshift monument.  I’m not sure who started it. Maybe there was already a rock embedded in the center of the trail and a hiker randomly put a rock beside it and then someone else did, and so on until there was a large pile of rocks.  But I think there’s more to it than that.  At least for me, as I placed my little stone on the very top of the pile (can you see it, there, in the picture?), for me it was a memorial- a mini-worship service. “By the grace of God, I’ve made it up this mountain, blisters, stress fractures and all.  Thank you, Jesus! I’m so blessed and thankful to be here.” For a Christian, monuments should never highlight personal accomplishments or achievement, but stand as a testimony to the steadfast love and faithfulness of God.

I felt exactly that way, this past Sunday at the Celebration of God’s Faithfulness we had at Bethany Grace Fellowship.  The worship service was both a mountain top and a memorial. It was a time to pause and savor the glorious scenery after a long and arduous climb and to redirect our attention to the amazing goodness of a faithful God.  God has been so, so faithful to all of us. He has led us through times of uncertainty and discouragement and done so in such a way that He alone receives the praise.  We ALL are blessed beyond measure.

Now, mountaintops and monuments don’t last forever.  And after my moment on the trail, I was back at it, climbing, blisters, heavy pack and all down the next leg of the journey. There were many more summits to climb.  And so it is for all of us.  But mountaintops and memorials are real and they become a source of strength when times get tough.  God is faithful.  He has brought us this far.  And He’s not done yet!

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we’ve come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You’ve done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful