Encountering God’s Faithfulness on the Side of a Mountain

In my recently released book, Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Mountains, I share a snippet of a story about my wedding that took place on the side of a mountain one brisk October morning.

It’s a story about faithfulness.

Being divorced by the age of twenty-seven can leave a person feeling less than—marked, if you will. Marked as a failure, a floozy, and other names I called myself but would never call another.

And yet, it was during those rock-bottom days when salvation swept through my soul and decided to settle in for an eternity.

I confessed to God that I’d made a mess of my life, dragging my two little boys with me. I was content to never re-marry, realizing now that no human being could possibly fill the void of the One I truly needed.

But God saw things a bit differently. Only weeks after declaring my contentment to the Lord, He brought Brian, my now-husband of twenty-seven years into my life. While dating, he decided to join me for church one morning. Within a month, he too tasted the sweetness of salvation.

There we stood in the outdoor chapel called Pretty Place, exchanging vows before God, friends, and family, with a plethora of autumn color as our backdrop. Like the leaves that aptly clothed the trees on our wedding day have their seasons, so have we. I’m thankful most could be considered well-watered seasons, but we’ve also had our fair share of dry ones too, when blustery winds attempted to blow us off course.

And yet, like the mountains that towered over us on our wedding day, God’s strength and unchanging nature has written a story of steadfastness despite the ever-changing seasons in life.

It’s a story about faithfulness—God’s faithfulness.

Looking back, I stand in awe of our glorious Savior for:

• Tenderly loving me when I least expected it, or deserved it.
• Salvation—not only for myself, but also for Brian and my two sons, who are now grown with beautiful families of their own.
• Numerous opportunities I’ve had to share my story—the good, bad, and the ugly—all for His glory.
• His unchanging, steadfast, and relentless devotion.

Seasons in life will change, as will seasons in our marriages, but God never changes. He remains faithful to you, to your family, to His purposes and plans for your lives.

I don’t know what season of life you find yourself in today. Maybe it’s on top of a mountain with outstretched arms proclaiming the goodness of God. Or perhaps you’re down in a mountain hollow, where dark shadows cloak your joy—but I do know the One who longs to love you through it.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22,23 NIV

 

Searching for ways to strengthen your home through prayer? Download Cathy’s free e-book, Praying in Every Room of Your Home (including sensory tips!) on her site, Cultivating Creativity.

 

 

 

 

 

Pretty Place image credit: OnlyinYourState