Article March 23, 2015 Issue

The help we needed

Riley Capp

It was the second session of the summer, and I was working as a counselor-in-training at a camp for Christian Scientists. I was part of a seven-day backpacking program, and our trip had gone very well. We were on our last peak climb and had to get up and over Mt. Harvard. There was decent climbing weather in the morning, and it didn’t look as if there would be any threat of rough weather. This soon changed, though, as we got closer to the peak around noon, which was supposed to be the ideal time to reach the summit, since we needed time to head back.

Clouds began to roll in on our group, and we soon lost sight of the top of the mountain. That’s when a friend joined us.

Our friend was a scruffy mountain goat who had started following us as we got close to the top and would not let up. When we got to the peak the menacing-looking clouds and wind were upon us, and we had to hurry to get down off the mountain. We managed to get off the summit, all the while praying about God’s ever-presence, and our safety within His arms. I can remember one of the ideas we shared was, “There is no spot where God is not.” Although this is a basic concept to pray with, there was something about it that was comforting high up on the mountain surrounded by bad weather.

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