2010/Aug/7/P013 - Climbing The Mountain
Happily, it is the last stanza of Psalm 13 which strikes a chord with me today. In common psalm-lament form, the first parts of the poetry are mournful, but broken at the end by a ray of hope. I wonder if Shakespeare was a fan of the psalms; the flow of the Biblical verses seems to be mirrored by the sonnets. Regardless, my heart is rejoicing in God's salvation recently. For me, being unemployed was a long drought, often with no sign of an end coming. Then, in the space of under half a week, a rainstorm of blessing poured down on me, and here I am now.
My legs are a little bit tired today. For the first time, I "climbed Mount Gowling", which is to say, I walked up the stairs to my office, which is on the twenty-seventh floor (The trek itself is only twenty-two floors, since the stairwell is only accessible from the fifth floor, to which I am reluctantly forced to take an elevator). My only complaint about work has been that the high-speed elevators pop my ears when I descend. I solved that problem by taking the stairs down yesterday, and now that I am comfortable with it, I have decided to take them on the way up, too. It is somewhat reminiscent of when I was in university and walked up fourteen storeys for each class. In a way, it is yet another example of blessing coming from what seems like a curse. Having an aversion to elevators is not usually an endearing quality, but taking the stairs may end up being the one halfway healthy thing I do every day.
I mentioned to my boss that I had taken the stairs, and she noted that I am not the only one who does it. There is someone in another department who takes the stairs, and goes even farther by then taking the elevator down and rushing up again. He does it as training for his advanced mountaineering hobby: He has climed several of the world's tallest and most difficult peaks. Apparently, another person from the office, the most petite patent agent of all, once joined him on a trek to the Everest Base Camp and beforehand did some stairwell reps herself. This in particular appeals to me. A friend of mine has invited me to join him on a Base Camp trek next year. I am still not sure I will go, but I certainly want to. Knowing that my avoidance of the lift is actually a step in that direction is one of those coincidences that makes me smile and think of God putting the pieces of life's puzzle together, building us into a beautiful picture. God has dealt bountifully with me indeed!
Psalm 13
How long, oh Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, oh Lord my God
Englighten my eyes
Lest I sleep the sleep of death
Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved
But I have trusted in Your mercy
My heart shall rejoice in your salvation
I will sing to the Lord
Because He has dealt bountifully with me
My legs are a little bit tired today. For the first time, I "climbed Mount Gowling", which is to say, I walked up the stairs to my office, which is on the twenty-seventh floor (The trek itself is only twenty-two floors, since the stairwell is only accessible from the fifth floor, to which I am reluctantly forced to take an elevator). My only complaint about work has been that the high-speed elevators pop my ears when I descend. I solved that problem by taking the stairs down yesterday, and now that I am comfortable with it, I have decided to take them on the way up, too. It is somewhat reminiscent of when I was in university and walked up fourteen storeys for each class. In a way, it is yet another example of blessing coming from what seems like a curse. Having an aversion to elevators is not usually an endearing quality, but taking the stairs may end up being the one halfway healthy thing I do every day.
I mentioned to my boss that I had taken the stairs, and she noted that I am not the only one who does it. There is someone in another department who takes the stairs, and goes even farther by then taking the elevator down and rushing up again. He does it as training for his advanced mountaineering hobby: He has climed several of the world's tallest and most difficult peaks. Apparently, another person from the office, the most petite patent agent of all, once joined him on a trek to the Everest Base Camp and beforehand did some stairwell reps herself. This in particular appeals to me. A friend of mine has invited me to join him on a Base Camp trek next year. I am still not sure I will go, but I certainly want to. Knowing that my avoidance of the lift is actually a step in that direction is one of those coincidences that makes me smile and think of God putting the pieces of life's puzzle together, building us into a beautiful picture. God has dealt bountifully with me indeed!
Psalm 13
How long, oh Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
Consider and hear me, oh Lord my God
Englighten my eyes
Lest I sleep the sleep of death
Lest my enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved
But I have trusted in Your mercy
My heart shall rejoice in your salvation
I will sing to the Lord
Because He has dealt bountifully with me