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Mountain Day prayers
Originally appeared on spirituality.com
When I was in college, my school had a tradition called “Mountain Day.” The administration cancelled classes and encouraged students to head for the neighboring mountains to hike, picnic, and admire the fall foliage. What a treat it was to set aside our textbooks, feel the sun on our faces, and smell the pine groves.
Not every mountain I’ve tackled since those college days has been so carefree. When you hit grueling switchbacks wearing a heavy backpack, it’s not always a pretty picture! Near vertical cliffs, plunging down inches from your feet, can make your knees feel like butter. Yet when you reach the top and scan a glorious panorama or stand on the shore of a high-altitude glacial lake, you feel blessed by God for those earlier moments of trial and your ability to persevere despite them.
We all climb mountains in one form or another: getting through an exam, navigating a rocky relationship, finding a job, or battling sickness. The trail can be lonely, even frightening. Sometimes, the summit appears shrouded in clouds. One mountain hike a few summers ago taught me some inspiring lessons that I’ve been able to apply to these other kinds of challenges.
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About the author
Laura Clayton experienced the “Mountain Day” tradition many years ago at her alma mater, Mount Holyoke College. She is now a Christian Science practitioner who lives in Franklin, Massachusetts.
