After we ate we climbed the “highest” hill so we could look “down”

The old red photo album is filled with wonders of a family. As I pulled it from the suitcase to look through the treasures I was blown away by what I found. My mom had collected all her memories in the suitcase – many of the memories were stored in the three photo albums.

In order for you to fully catch the humour in what I post today you need to know something about the prairie. That something is very obvious to anyone that has travelled through it. It is even more obvious when you live there. The very word is a dead give away to what I will reveal to you now in these next words… are you ready?

"It is flat."

It is flat forever as you look our over the land. Flat is the tourist attraction locally. The locals don’t know it. There is so much flat that people from Ontario and British Columbia come just to see flat. They are overwhelmed in about a half hour and start shaking – they need rocks & trees & mountains and terrain that goes up and down. Often I have heard, “How can anyone live here?” come from their mouths. Too funny.

In the photo album my mother kept a special photo that was taken in the fall of 1950 – 56 years ago now. Looking at it I was filled with a “déjà vu” that rushed back into my life with warm feelings.

The photo is taken while we were standing on top of the “Blue Hills” in southern Saskatchewan. The spot is one of the high spots in the middle of the southern prairies at 2416 feet above sea level – south of Regina(at 1885 feet), Saskatchewan. It is about 5 miles due west of Truax. On Google Earth you will find the spot at 49 degrees, 54 minutes, 03.81 seconds North – and – 105 degrees, 05 minutes, 10.21 seconds West – and it is officially called the Missouri Range – extending north out of the northern USA. The spot we stood on is about 2416 feet – 200 to 500 feet above the surrounding land.

In the fall of 1950 at 6 ½ years old the world was very big from the top of the “Blue Hills”. It was really big for me and my siblings. For my mom it was even bigger. That day she had to get a Picnic Lunch ready for 10 people and then follow the rest as we climbed the highest hill in the area.

Her comment in the photo album said it all. It is the title to what I write today, ‘After we ate we climbed the “highest” hill so we could look “down” ’. I can only imagine what this really meant. My brother Glen was 2 and my sister Pat was 5. All the ladies were wearing dresses or skirts(see the photo). To understand better, have you every walked a 2, 5 and 6 ½ year old up to the top a 200 foot hill?

Mom’s words sum up a lot of my life. ‘After we ate we climbed the “highest” hill so we could look “down” ’ Or… after we lived this full, fantastic and sometimes frustrating life we can look back now on what has happened with warm memories. Mom’s words bring back so many memories… so many.

Life for all of us is making memories, and then if possible, keeping the memories. Christmas again will be like that for us this year. One more time.

There is a powerful scripture verse… describing Moses journey. It is actually the last that you see or hear from him being with the Children of Israel. It reads…
Deuteronomy 34
1 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it."

I can only imagine what must have gone through his mind at that moment. There had been 40 years of walking with people that would follow reluctantly at first and later with simple faith.

There had been the 40 years before that where he lived in an self imposed exile herding sheep after murdering someone. A great learning place for a leader that will dead millions out of bondage.

There had been the first 40 years living as a Prince in Egypt.

So many memories.

Application for me…
Today I think of a little friend of mine named Jonah Van Spronsen. I published the latest in yesterday’s Blog. He is facing another hill this next week. His mom and dad are walking up this one with him – so are we in prayer.

I am filled with a new emotion today… God walked with Murray, the 6 ½ year old, for this past 56 years. It has been a testimony of God faithfulness. Wow!

I know God will take my little friend Jonah through his life too.

I know too that God is there to walk with you too – through whatever you are facing today.

Just remember these special words…. ‘After we ate we climbed the “highest” hill so we could look “down” ’

~ Pastor Murray ~

The Picnic-ers...