Mountains

Mountains take my breath away.

They are magnificent, majestic even. In all of God's good creation, I think they are the most beautiful.

But what I've come to love the most about mountains is how they change me.

I always come down a different person than when I went up. The mountains shape me in ways the valleys and the plains never could.

Maybe you've never climbed a mountain made of rock.

But you've climbed other mountains. Mountains made of insecurity, loneliness, depression.

Maybe your mountain is a difficult relationship that seems hopeless, an addiction that you know has to be broken, or losing someone you love and learning what it means to live without them.

Maybe your mountain is the chance of a lifetime.

Maybe it’s the dream you’ve thought about and prayed about for years.

Maybe it's a move halfway across the country, exciting and terrifying at the same time.

Life, I think, is lived among the mountains.

I don't know what you have faced. But I do know that, at times, we all find ourselves in the valley, standing at the foot of a towering mountain. The peak seems to be impossibly far and the climb ahead impossibly hard.

Excitement and anticipation mix with fear and doubt.

But we begin, one step at a time, facing the narrow passes and steep inclines as they come.

Though every mountain looks different than the one before, each – with its own unique obstacles – is an opportunity to grow and to learn and to change.

"Will you come with me to the mountains? It will hurt at first, until your feet are hardened. Reality is harsh to the feet of shadows. But will you come?" (C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce)

It won't be easy, of course. It never is. But take heart. We do not face our mountains alone. We do so with the ones we love- and the ones that love us in return- at our side. We climb together. And we follow a Guide who not only knows the mountain but formed and fashioned it Himself.

So will you come with me to the mountains? It will hurt at first...

Travel Tips

I’ve traveled quite a bit in my thirty years. I’ve learned a lot about how to travel along the way. So, as I set out on my next adventure, I thought I’d share with you a handful of tips for the next time you travel.

1.     Never leave without a book… or five.

I have the worst luck when it comes to traveling. I honestly don’t remember the last time I was on a flight that wasn’t delayed (which explains why my family won't fly with me). I’m also one of those people who likes to get to the airport at least two hours early, even though I have TSA Pre-Check and even though I know the flight is not going to leave on time. The upside to the countless hours I’ve spent sitting in airports is that I’ve read many more books than I would have otherwise. So, always have more books than you think you need. You never know when you’re going to end up waiting longer than you anticipated.

NOTE: If you ask my family, they will tell you that I like to arrive at the airport five hours early. Don’t believe them.

2.     Always bring an extra pair of underwear.

The bad luck I experience when traveling extends well beyond delayed flights. Once, when I was going to Ireland, I spilled an entire cup of Starbucks down the front of my shirt and pants just as I was settling in for the six-hour flight. I’m not easily embarrassed, so the coffee stains didn’t bother me in the least. But, sitting in coffee-soaked underwear? That’s not all that enjoyable. The moral of the story is always have an extra pair of underwear readily available in your carry-on. Or, just don’t spill your coffee.

3.     Be open to getting out of your comfort zone.

I tend to keep to myself when I travel. I am not that person who strikes up a conversation with the stranger trapped in the seat next to me. I’m more of the put-on-my-headphones-pull-out-my-book-and-avoid-eye-contact type. But, I’m also the person that always ends up next to the strike-up-a-conversation type. I used to try to send subtle signals that I didn’t want to talk. As it turns out, the type of person that likes to talk to strangers on airplanes is also the type of person that can’t read social cues. So, I gave up. Do you know what I found? People are fascinating, and God works in mysterious ways. Since I began engaging in conversation with the folks that wanted to talk, I’ve only sat next to a Christian once. He has opened up countless opportunities for spiritual conversation – and opportunities for me to share my faith. I would have missed out of them all if I hadn’t been willing to get out of my comfort zone. Talking to strangers on airplanes may not be out of your comfort zone, but what is? What might God want to do in you and through you, if only you’d step out? You might learn something. You might encourage someone. You might even make a friend.

4.     Be exceedingly kind to the ticketing agents.

Ticketing agents deal with cranky travelers all the time. Don’t be one of them. Also, they could “accidentally” send your bags to the wrong city.

NOTE: I have had my bags sent to the wrong city, but I don’t believe it was because I was rude to the ticketing agent. I have, though, witnessed travelers berating men and women just trying to do their job and I would be tempted to send their luggage to Bangkok. if I were them. I wouldn’t do it, of course. But, I would be tempted.

NOTE: This recommendation applies to TSA agents, flight attendants, fellow passengers (especially those traveling with small children), and the rest of humanity.

5.     Write down your stories.

I’ve never been good at keeping a journal. I always make it about four entries before I give up for six months, at which point I decide to, once again, dedicate myself to journaling and, obviously, have to buy a brand-new journal. I have dozens of journals that completely blanks, save for the first three pages. A friend of mine, though, encouraged me to start writing down stories during my travels. Admittedly, I’ve only recently taken up this practice, but I plan to continue. Reflecting at the end of each day – even for just a couple of minutes – has allowed me to capture experiences and conversations I would have otherwise forgotten. It has also helped me think about and articulate what I learned. I don’t want to squander the unique learning opportunities that travel affords. Writing it down helps me make the most of the experience and provides the added benefit of being able to revisit those lessons later.

NOTE: As you jot down your stories, think about how you could tell them succinctly. People will ask about your trip, but most will lose interest if you start to ramble (a special thanks to those friends that indulge my rambling). So, decide on the couple of stories or lessons you want to share and think about how you would tell them in less than five minutes.

NOTE: If you can’t fathom telling only a couple of stories, I would highly recommend starting a blog, so you can share to your hearts content.

Well, that’s all folks. I’m off to Nairobi. I hope these tips prove useful, in your travels and in your day-to-day.

Here’s to the next adventure – mine, and yours.

Lessons from Aidan (Part Three)

I’ve talked about a remarkable man I met named Aidan Mackey a couple of times now.

On my last night at Oxford, Aidan stood up after dinner and asked if he could say a couple of parting words.

The first thing he said was, “People often think that because I speak with an English accent I know more about any given subject than they do. They are wrong.”

You can read more about that here.

The second thing he said was, “People often think that younger people have nothing to offer older people. They are wrong. I get at least as much, if not more, out of conversations with those younger than myself, than they get from me.”

He joked that this was to his advantage given that, at ninety-six, almost everyone is younger than he.

To be honest, I only half-believed him. At thirty-one, I felt I had little to offer a man as wise and as godly as Aidan. That, once again, speaks to his humility.

But, I know he’s right.

The older I get, the more I realize I have to learn.

I can learn a lot from those older than me. I have learned a lot from those older than me.

But, I can also learn a lot from those younger. I have learned a lot from those younger than me.

I have – or could have – learned from almost anyone I’ve encountered, not despite our differences, but because of them.

The problem is that I don’t often stop to listen. The problem is that I can be distracted or even defensive. The problem is that I can be so arrogant that – consciously or not – I don’t believe that someone different from me has anything to teach me.

I want to slow down. I want to pay attention. I want to be open to learning.