Yesterday in a remote part of northern Lebanon County we visited an interesting geological formation known as “Boxcar Rocks”. It’s a long line of huge boulders on a mountain ridge and was given the name Boxcar Rocks when Harry D. Lentz, described the rocks as a “Railroad Wreck of Boxcars”, and the description caught on. It’s also known as the China Wall after the Great Wall of China, although this formation is entirely natural.We hiked in from Gold Mine Road back to the formation and then up and around it, at times scrambling (climbing up steep terrain involving the use of one’s hands) on the boulders. We enjoyed ourselves but were sure glad to get back on firm ground as we both became keenly aware that our days of enjoying this type of activity are waning! It’s a good thing we didn’t have other hikers nearby to hear our moans and groans as our forced knee crunches during the ascending and descending of large rocks brought about the pain we usually try to avoid. We felt the physical stress the rest of the day and even still this morning!
We recall an old song from childhood, “Climb Up Sunshine Mountain” which we haven’t heard in years. But we just started to sing it and the words still come back.
Heavenly breezes blow;
Climb, climb up sunshine mountain
Faces all aglow.
Turn, turn from sin and doubting,
Look to God on high,
Climb, climb up sunshine mountain
You and I.
Hinds’ Feet on High Places is an allegorical novel by English author Hannah Hurnard. It was written the year Brooksyne was born (1955) and is a very successful work of Christian fiction. It takes the imagery from our daily text.
The lifelong climb up sunshine mountain begins when we make our decision to follow Christ. At times the path is relatively smooth and easy. Sometimes the grade is steep and it’s quite an incline. And sometimes it’s like a rock climbing scramble!
“He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; He causes me to stand on the heights.” A deer is able to move quickly and easily across the rocks of a mountain, leaping from one rock to another without ever losing its footing. Thus the biblical verse means that God has enabled and empowered His followers to overcome the obstacles of life which we will most certainly confront and doing things that would otherwise be difficult or impossible without divine aid.
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
