Climbing Out of the Valley of Gloom
08/07/10 08:37 Filed in: Grief
Like the apostles in today’s Gospel passage, we are all on a steep ascent to that point in time when we will see our Lord and Savior in all His glory. But, between here and there lie many outcroppings, rockfalls, avalanches. and storm clouds that can leave us breathless and frostbitten. The current state of the economy has left many people wandering and lost in the valley of gloom. To get back on top again, we may have to use some of the techniques that experienced rock climbers rely on.
“This is my Son, my chosen: hear ye him.” (Luke 9: 35)
Like the apostles in today’s Gospel passage, we are all on a steep ascent to that point in time when we will see our Lord and Savior in all His glory. But, between here and there lie many outcroppings, rockfalls, avalanches. and storm clouds that can leave us breathless and frostbitten. The current state of the economy has left many people wandering and lost in the valley of gloom.
To get back on top again, we may have to use some of the techniques that experienced rock climbers rely on:
Always warm up and stretch: In rock climbing, tight muscles and ligaments lead to falls. Likewise, in today’s gloomy economy, we have to loosen up by starting each day with prayer and meditation, Spiritual exercises provide the flexibility needed to deal with each day’s challenges.
Pace yourself: Rock climbers plan virtually every step to the summit. They determine how long it will take and look for places where they can rest every three meters. We, too, have to pace ourselves and find spaces in our busy lives for holy leisure.
Relax your grip: In rock climbing a tight grip will wear out the forearms. Likewise, in our faith journey, there are times when we have to relax our grip and let go and let God.
Bend your knees: in a good climbing technique the knees do not point directly toward the wall; they are flexed outward to keep the climber’s center of gravity close to the rock. Likewise, in our spiritual ascent, we have to flex our knees in prayer in order to stay close to our center of gravity, God.
Don’t look down: Rock climbers focus on the next foothold because, if they look too far down, they might become dizzy and fall. In dealing with our own problems, there is a tendency to look too far ahead and panic. The best step is to look up in prayer.
Like the apostles in today’s Gospel passage, we are all on a steep ascent to that point in time when we will see our Lord and Savior in all His glory. But, between here and there lie many outcroppings, rockfalls, avalanches. and storm clouds that can leave us breathless and frostbitten. The current state of the economy has left many people wandering and lost in the valley of gloom.
To get back on top again, we may have to use some of the techniques that experienced rock climbers rely on:
Always warm up and stretch: In rock climbing, tight muscles and ligaments lead to falls. Likewise, in today’s gloomy economy, we have to loosen up by starting each day with prayer and meditation, Spiritual exercises provide the flexibility needed to deal with each day’s challenges.
Pace yourself: Rock climbers plan virtually every step to the summit. They determine how long it will take and look for places where they can rest every three meters. We, too, have to pace ourselves and find spaces in our busy lives for holy leisure.
Relax your grip: In rock climbing a tight grip will wear out the forearms. Likewise, in our faith journey, there are times when we have to relax our grip and let go and let God.
Bend your knees: in a good climbing technique the knees do not point directly toward the wall; they are flexed outward to keep the climber’s center of gravity close to the rock. Likewise, in our spiritual ascent, we have to flex our knees in prayer in order to stay close to our center of gravity, God.
Don’t look down: Rock climbers focus on the next foothold because, if they look too far down, they might become dizzy and fall. In dealing with our own problems, there is a tendency to look too far ahead and panic. The best step is to look up in prayer.
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