Ascending the Mountain

In the last few years, I’ve had many dreams about ascending a mountain.  I had another one on New Year’s eve. Several friends have also had dreams in which a mountain was the central theme. I believe God is speaking to us about something important in these dreams. I’ll give you a little background info from one of the previous dreams.

On November 4, 2010, I had a dream about the earth being flooded with a rainstorm that wouldn’t stop. I watched as people tried frantically to get to higher ground as the waters kept rising. I watched as a woman was put in an ambulance, which was stolen. They tried to get to higher ground but the ambulance crashed. In another scene, two men stole a fuel truck and tried to drive it to higher ground. When it tipped over they tried to siphon fuel from it.

At the end of the dream, I saw people in canoes and kayaks paddling from one end of a serene lake to the other. It stopped raining and the sun came out. A beautiful mountain rose up at the edge of the lake. The people in the boats traveled the entire length of the lake and learned they had paddled completely around the mountain. They realized it was the highest peak in the world and that the earth was now underwater except for the mountain peak. They also realized they were going to spend the rest of their days living on the mountainside. There was a deep sense of peace in this part of the dream.

I believe this dream speaks of things that will come upon the inhabitants of the earth at some time in the future. I don’t think it speaks of a literal flood, but perhaps some other catastrophic event(s) that will cause widespread panic. The key to survival is ascending the mountain of God.

In the dream I had on New Year’s eve, I was ascending a mountain for what seemed like the entire night. I had no backpack, poles, crampons, ice ax, ropes, or any mountaineering gear. I walked one slope to its highest point, then found another slope that went in a different direction leading higher up the mountain. I’d walk up that slope to its highest point, then find yet another slope that led higher still. This process was repeated many times.

One thing that impressed me on the ascent was the peace and stillness that surrounded me. There was no one else around for miles. I heard no sounds; no people, no freeway noise, not even the chirping of birds. I was much too high for their comfort. On the ascent I wasn’t cold; the temperature was perfect. My feet never slipped, even though the ground was alternately covered with snow, ice, and loose rocks. The walk was easy – almost effortless. I had no map and no guide, yet I knew my destination was the summit.

I didn’t walk alone; someone was with me. In the dream, I couldn’t tell who it was, but experience has taught me that it was the Lord himself, who said He would never leave me. I find it interesting that although He is always beside me and always interested in spending time with me, I rarely give Him my full attention, except in a crisis.

When we reached the top, we paused there for a while, taking in the rarified air of this splendid and heavenly place. Then we began the descent. Our trip down the mountain was a fast glissade to the bottom  (To glissade you sit or lie down on the mountain slope and gravity pulls you along. On a field of ice the descent is fast, on snow it’s a bit slower).

As we approached the bottom of the mountain, a ski resort came into view. I saw chair lifts, skiers, abandoned ski poles, and discarded trash on the slopes. The artificial lights cast a sickly orange glow on the scene. I heard the noise of civilization… and wanted to return to the peaceful place I had just left.

There is a calling pictured in these dreams; a call to come up higher from the place we are right now. The call is an invitation to leave behind the noise, confusion, clamor, and distractions that surround us and beg for our attention. God is inviting us to ascend His holy mountain. The ascent is a pursuit. The object of our pursuit is the place where we meet with God and commune with Him alone. It’s an invitation to intimacy.

If there is one thing lacking in my life today, it is time alone with God. I have hundreds of excuses, but none of them are good ones. I’m a busy person. I’ve committed myself to things that require a lot of time. I spend most of my time writing, working, cooking, parenting, and socializing with friends on Facebook.

But none of these commitments are more important than spending time alone with God. He deserves the highest priority in my life and it’s to my own benefit that I spend time with Him, getting to know His ways and being refreshed in His presence. The One who loves me deeply is calling me (and you) into a place of intimate relationship. We must set aside time with Him because time is the commodity of relationships. This year, we might be wise to spend more time with Him than we did in the last year. Whatever is holding you back and keeping you from spending time with Him, let go of it. You won’t regret it. I hope you are encouraged and inspired by this dream.