Mountaintop Experience

The Peek Perspective on Seeing Challenges as Invitations

And so I did, last weekend.

With an SUV packed to the brim with kids, layers upon layers of snow gear, 500 million snacks, a tank full of gas, my favorite copilot, and a wide open highway before us. And a few “are we there yet?” echoes from the backseat before we had even left our town…

There’s something about a road trip that just lights me up. I know, I know… parents everywhere cringe at the thought of endless questions, snack requests, and sibling squabbles in the backseat. This is real. But there’s also something so enchanting about seeing the world from a long roadtrip that you can’t quite appreciate from an airplane… especially when there are mountains to behold.

We headed west out of Oklahoma, past the windmill farms as the sunset blazed over west Texas, and into the rugged and beautiful terrain of New Mexico… first, flat desert, followed by mesas that seemingly pop up out of the horizon, and finally into the snowcapped mountains where we made our home for a few days.

Every time our kids first see the mountains en route to a ski trip, their reaction is one of awe and a bit of fear… “wait, we are going to ski down THAT?” The peaks looming above seem intimidating from the roadside, and their minds can’t fathom how we get from here to there.

But once we check out our ski and snowboard rentals, put on appropriate snow gear layers, and hop on the ski lift, it all makes sense. Those mountains looked intimidating from our SUV while driving the winding roads, but once we arrive and have prepared for our adventure, those looming mountains suddenly seem to beckon us into great adventure.

How often do we look at a challenge - in relationships, marriage, parenting, at work, or throughout the course of our everyday lives- that appear to be a mountain? How often do we look at the issue before us and panic as we wonder how we will get from here to there? Do we stand speechless, frozen in stillness, intimidated by the possibilities? Or do we see those challenges as an invitation?

Those mountains are rugged and they are real. They aren’t imagined, nor are they minimized. They will take more than a minute, maybe months, perhaps even years to navigate. And we can’t expect to go it alone. Likewise, we wouldn’t show up to snowboard on that rugged mountain terrain without researching the proper gear, attire, and technique first. We wouldn’t try to walk up that mountain with skis strapped on (or even walking uphill in those awfully uncomfortable ski boots!) We would find a map, ask for lessons, take the ski lift to the top.

I’m not sure who originally looked at a snow-covered mountain and thought, “I know! I should create some type of board to ride down this steep mountain on. While standing on my feet. Yes, that seems like a great idea.” Who looked at this challenge and saw it as an invitation? I don’t know, but I’m sure glad they did.

Years ago, when the other Dr. Peek and I first went on a ski trip together, I had the bright idea that he should convert to snowboarding, since that is what I love. Nevermind that he had snow-skied for years and was quite good; he needed a new challenge. Challenge accepted. No lessons, just a new girlfriend (yours truly) who offered to teach him how.

After tackling the bunny slopes and then some more easy trails the first day, he seemed to be getting the hang of it. So, I told him he was ready to tackle a blue (intermediate) trail. We got off the lift, and I directed him towards the path I intended for us to try next. Except, somehow it wasn’t there. Suddenly, we were standing before a black diamond (for those unfamiliar: this a red flag if you aren’t very skilled or expert level… not intended for a first-day snowboarder).

I was horrified. There was no other way down. We had somehow passed the trail I was so sure of, and this was our option. He had trusted me to guide him through his first day of snowboarding, and now I was sure this would be the beginning of the end for us … but instead:

“Well,” he said, grinning….“race you to the bottom?!”

I carefully navigated my way, back and forth, slowly but surely making it down the slope. Suddenly, a large avalanche started down the slope to my left… no, not a snowball… it was him. He had quickly fallen at the top, and unable to stop himself, he came tumbling past me. I could barely breathe. He was screaming something that I could hardly make out until the very second he passed…. “I’M WINNNING!!!!”

We tell our girls this story (and many others) not only to make them laugh at their dad… but also to remind them that sometimes the trail we think we are on will lead in a different direction (either in life or on a mountain). Sometimes it will be painful. It’s good to ask for help from those who went before you. And sometimes, if you happen to fall, you just have to let it all go as you tumble. The impact feels less harsh if you are relaxed and along for the ride. Laughter helps too. It may look messier than you had imagined, and it may not feel comfortable… but sometimes, you might even still win at the end ; )

There’s a reason so many song lyrics, thought-provoking poems, and inspirational quotes relate to mountain analogies. There’s something truly special about being in the mountains. It’s here that I feel so alive and so small at the same time. It’s here that I dig deep and push myself, while also letting go and soaking it all in. It’s here that I’m reminded of God’s goodness at every turn… even when tumbling down an unexpected path.

If we simply stand and ponder the challenge before us, without taking action, we remain at the bottom of that mountain (or maybe at the top of that black diamond, looking down). It’s certainly not a bad thing to stand and behold the mountain before us or below us, for a while. But it’s only when we ultimately decide to see the challenge as an invitation that we can truly experience the rugged beauty of the adventure and the freedom in the journey.

Those mountains are calling… how will you answer?

Dr. Peek