I love the rolling hills, where I live in Washington, that are covered with fruit trees and vineyards. If I get in the right spot on the road I can see Mountains in the faraway distance.
I'm in love with the beauty of the earth. I am fascinated by the seasons and the variety of everything I see. I appreciate God's handiwork...created for me to enjoy during my earth-life. I'm awe-inspired and can just gaze and soak it up in all it's splendor.
Gaze...from a distance. Not like Maria in Sound of Music singing Climb Every Mountain here
A popular climb around here is scaling Mount Adams. For some it is a rite of passage and for others an annual day long grueling event. I enjoy seeing their pictures and hearing of their feats.
I have absolutely no desire to ever scale any mountain. Remember- I'm a gazer...an appreciator...not a climber of mountains.
Recently I watched the most amazing talk. This man is a non-climber also but he ends up doing a climb even though he is petrified. I absolutely loved his entire talk and have watched it probably 3 times! You must watch this!!! Why Mountains? 2019 Michael A. Dunn here
I have spent a lot of time, enjoying and thinking about a reference to a scripture at the end of his talk, when he mentions Caleb.
Caleb was in that group of men, along with Joshua, that Moses sent to Hebron to check out the land and the possibilities, if they should move to take it over. Moses told them to check out everything and was very specific even to telling them to bring back some grapes. They journeyed there and found it to be a land of milk and honey. a land of abundance. it was all built up and fortified. there were giants living there. The majority of the men said it would be to hard and to difficult to overtake it and also there were the giants to contend with! Caleb, the dissenting voice along with Joshua, said that he knew they could do it. They could do it all. He did not convince them. Moses told Caleb though that when the lands were divvied up that Caleb would get Hebron. Caleb was 40 years old at this time.
Flash forward and jump from Numbers to Joshua. Caleb is now 85 years old and the land is being dispersed to the tribes. Caleb reminds Joshua that Moses had promised him Hebron. Joshua had been there when Moses told him that fact so Caleb was given Hebron.
I can't get this marvelous story out of my mind. so many things hit me.
Caleb didn't whine and complain for those 45 years of waiting but when the time was right...he stood up for himself and what he'd been told.
Moses had acknowledged in Numbers that Caleb hath followed me fully. 45 years later Caleb acknowledged in the book of Joshua I wholly followed the Lord my God.
and then...the biggie...Caleb says ...Now therefore give me this mountain, wereof the Lord spake in that day.
Caleb knew what he was getting into. He knew in 45 years there would've been lots of growth and he also knew that giants still inhabited the land. He declared he was just as strong and just as ready as he'd been 40 years earlier and he wanted that challenging mountain!
My LifeExperience mountains are just as real to me and just as treacherous and just as challenging and just as devastating and overwhelming as the physical mountains, when I read of others climbing treks/adventures/mis-haps.
The other part, that really grabbed me was the word wholly. Caleb knew he had been obedient. I loved the confidence that he exhibited. The self-assurance to say...I wholly followed.
Wholly...
ADVERB
- entirely; fully.
How can we know we are doing okay, like Caleb? He just knew. For me, I think this is a great scripture to evaluate ourselves...it's about knowing are hearts and being honest about ourselves to ourselves!!
D&C 97:8
Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are ahonest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are bwilling to observe their covenants by csacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are daccepted of me.
Enjoy reading the amazing inspiring real story...Numbers 13:17-20, 30-33; 14:6-10, 24. Joshua 14: 7-10, 12-15. Just a few of the verses!
I want to be wholly Holy!!
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