Last week I was given the opportunity to drive to the top of a mountain and speak to the Cascade Stake girls camp attendees. My husband and I slowly wound our way around hairpin curves, onward and upward, and were reminded once again of the magnitude of Jesus Christ’s creation. Tall pine trees pointing toward the heavens, beautiful flowers sprinkled across mountain meadows, streams and miniature waterfalls pouring into waiting lakes and reservoirs, and a vast late spring sky so blue the intensity hurt our eyes.
The week prior to this event was one filled with insanity. There were times I despaired of ever being ready to speak to these girls. All I ever take with me is an outline of one-word topics that must be covered during the fireside, for the rest I depend on inspiration from the Spirit. With the feeling that my spirit and mind were headed in opposite directions, it was growing increasingly more difficult to prepare myself.
On Monday, when I finally had a meltdown, it wasn’t until late afternoon that I finally asked Heavenly Father to help me find some peace in our circumstances because I had two speaking engagements and two book signings coming up in the next five days. Quietly, ever so clearly, the thought came to me, “Satan does not want you speaking to those girls, he is doing all he can to discourage you to the point where you will cancel.” Slight miscalculation on his part, it only made me more determined to find some peace in my heart where I would be able to fulfill my commitment.
So as we drove higher into the mountains I realized the cares of the world were slowly being peeled away (oh yeah, they were still waiting at the bottom of the mountain when we returned) and I was feeling more in tune as each moment went by.
I don’t know who needed to hear about missions in life and the promises made before entering mortality. But I can tell you this much, the more difficult your life gets the more you are on the right track. (Unless your choices are unrighteous, then life is difficult because you made it so.) So thankfully, because the Lord considers the tops of mountains sacred ground, my husband and I were able to spend a couple of wonderful hours at Camp Shalom while our spirits were completely filled. Thank goodness, I didn’t let anything stop me from getting to the top of that mountain!