The mountain is there for a reason

The mountain ain't gonna move this time...

I didn't really thought of having it any other way than to just pray for God to take away all my troubles, my distractions, my doubts.... ultimately my own mountains. I thought perhaps there was no other way than to just ask for a removal plan.

Recently I went up Malaysia's Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. Yes there was lots of reports about that mountain having land slides and people's life was taken away. Malaysia's very own unspoken heroes. But while I was hiking my way up (6km to Laban Rata...almost 9 hours my pace), the Holy Spirit gave me a little revelation about mountains, about road blocks in our life that is there for a reason and some of them are there to stay till its purposes are fulfil. 

I had my iPod with me, and it was full of Christian songs; Hillsong, Bethel Music, Elevation Music... You name it, I got most of them in my phone as well. What surprised me most wasn't the spectacular view up on the mountain, but the fact that my iPod could last more than 9 hours just to motivate me to finish my journey.

Yes, at some point... many I should say, that I wanted to just give up, take my things and turn back before it was too late. But turning back, I would have to face the reality of work, people in my office that I felt their hostility towards me. I didn't want to face that, and that was what held me back from turning away from the mountain.

Looking up at the mountain, and the occasional reminder of how far I still needed to hike, I keep thinking to myself, "boy this mountain is huge! How can a tiny little girl like me could ever conquer this mount?" Yes I am small for my size among my fellow hikers. The rest was build, experienced, well trained... I mean, who was I kidding? I wasn't even ready for Mount Kinabalu, had no training what-so-ever... and now your asking me to hike for two days straight (8km total to the peak..)

Well... like I said... I had two choice to choose from. One, hike up and conquer this mountain, despite all the aches and pains, or second... I could chicken out... and that wasn't an option as the fee for this was already paid. I will be wasting money and will be left wondering if I could ever reach the peak.

So upwards I went. What the kind Holy Spirit reveal to me on that day... and it still sticks to me like it was only just yesterday that I was up there, was that... at times, our mountains in life, they are not going to budged. It has to be there, and no, it is not meant to torment us, torture us and mostly not in God's intention to see us suffer. But it was to build us up, to mould us up from the inside out, and for God to show Himself who He is and who we need Him to be in this fragile lives of ours.

We often take Him for granted. We pray and pray for God to remove all of our mountains in life, not knowing that sometimes God allows the mountains to be there for His purpose and glory. We forgotten that we prayed for Him to change us to be more Christ like... and yet at times we do not even want to face the challenges in front of us. Just imagine, it is like having David praying to God to remove Goliath from the face of the earth instead.

Conquering this mountain has definitely gave me a new insight, a new perspective that sometimes, it just had to be, for His purposes and His glory, and for us to hold Him in our hearts like never before. I wish you were there with me that day. But perhaps wherever you are, may it be mountains, or hills, storms or even the beach, face your mountain knowing and trusting in the Lord that He is with you. 

I bid you God Bless.