From a little spark may burst a flame.
Dante Alighieri
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:1-2
Look to the Hills
I was blessed to attend the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference earlier this month. I received tons of useful information, made loads of new friends, and got a serious jump start on my summer workout. Not that I intended to have a summer workout, but God has His own plans and a sense of humor.
The ride up did not feel like I was heading for a blessing as my car stopped wanting to go when we got into the Nantahala region of North Carolina. I eventually found out it wasn’t firing on all cylinders, which while not amusing at the time strikes me as funny now. You see the car had been misfiring for months but I didn’t know what the problem was. A mechanically inclined friend explained that the car didn’t manifest the problem and set off alarms until it was pushed beyond its normal limits. Then, the problem could be identified and repaired.
I find the same is true of me in my spiritual walk. It isn’t until I am tested by trials or just hard times that I know my own limitations. It is also in those times that I realize the unlimited power of God to handle whatever comes and use it for my good and His glory. It is not until our faith is challenged that it begins to grow, just like my leg muscles on the many hills and steps of Ridgecrest Conference Center.
A Little Spark
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Acts 1:8
As I talked about my harrowing adventure, my friend gave me a little more insight into how an engine works. In order to get the car moving, the spark plugs have to ignite the fuel to release the power. I think our spiritual lives are the same. Sometimes we are not firing on all cylinders because we have a faulty spark plug. We aren’t tapped into the source of power.
Just like routine car maintenance ensures that a car operates at its greatest efficiency, we too need spiritual maintenance to make sure we are fully connected to the source of power: The Holy Spirit. A daily devotional and prayer life is needful, just like filling up your gas tank on a regular basis, but sometimes we need a check-up to see if everything is in working order, and sometimes we need a tune-up.
The writer’s conference I went to was not just about writing; it was also about being the best writer you can be physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. We studied the craft of writing, we connected with people in the business, and we learned tricks and tips for keeping fit physically, but we also took time to assess our spiritual walk as well. It was exhausting and refreshing at the same time. Time in the Word, worshiping and praying with other Christian writers, was just the spark I needed to keep moving forward.
Forward Motion
When I crossed back over the mountains toward home, I realized how much I had gained in my little adventure. God is always gracious to give us what we need even if it’s not what we want. The struggle up the mountain was well worth the mountaintop experience. One thing I discovered is that when the car had enough speed coming off a hill, it could make it through the low areas and back up the next hill. So, I came off the mountaintop experience with enough power to move me forward to the next hill, and as long as I keep my spark plugs in working order, I’ll have enough power to make it to the top.
The God on the mountain IS still God in the valley:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTl4tUYIAg
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