By: Denny

I’ve always enjoyed mountains. Over the course of my 50-year truck driving career, I’ve seen and driven over many of them. From Canada to Mexico there isn’t any major pass in the U.S. Rocky Mountain range that I haven’t been over. Not only are they beautiful, but they are filled with history. It amazes me how the pioneers navigated them when forging their way west. There were no roads, maps, or GPS to guide them. They just kept pushing onward driven by the hope and desire of a better life which they heard about from those who had gone before them. Many lost their lives as was the case of the Donner Party wagon train that was stranded in the mountains in winter. Donner Pass, named after them, is a tribute and memorial to their tenacity. Some passes have had songs that mentioned them, such as the Grapevine which is between Bakersfield and Los Angeles and Feather River Canyon north of Reno on highway 70 into California. C.W. McCall wrote a humorous song about Wolf Creek Pass on Highway 160 heading westbound in Colorado. That is one killer mountain and no laughing matter. The whole dynamic changes when you’re driving a fully loaded 80,000# semi versus a car. The going up can be slow, and you may be down to a crawl when you reach the summit, but it’s the going down that is the most dangerous part. One of the steepest climbs I remember is the grade on Highway 95 heading north out of Lewiston, Idaho at the Snake River. Out of 10 gears I was down to 3^rd gear when I reached the top. There are certain rules that I’ve learned to observe, some by experience and others by listening to the “Old Timers”. Most passes have a pull off area at the summit. Stop, let the motor cool off, get out and walk around, enjoy the scenery, check your tires, brake adjustments, and pray before heading down. Always start down in the same last gear you were in coming up. Keep a slow steady pace and don’t pump the brakes. Let the motor hold you back along with minimal brake pressure. Don’t try to keep up with those going faster. Gradually pick up speed near the bottom but don’t turn it loose and let it roll out too soon, because that’s when most drivers get in trouble. Navigating mountains may take longer when you’re underpowered and heavily loaded, but don’t ever lose respect for them. It’s the overconfident and foolish drivers that crash and burn.

Heading west out of Denver on I70 is Loveland Pass at nearly 12,000 ft elevation. It’s a steady climb for 60 miles. At 11,000 ft you enter the Eisenhower Tunnel. It was built in the early 1970’s and at that time was the highest/longest tunnel in the world. My first experience with it was in July 1974. It was a beautiful sunny day when I entered the east portal. Tunnels can be deceiving and freak you out, and this one is the worst in my opinion. If it wasn’t for the drag on the engine, you wouldn’t know you were still going uphill. All you can see are four box-like sides that extend ahead of you for 1.7 miles. The temperature drop is felt immediately, and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. As I neared the end at 11,150 ft my thought was, “Finally that’s over with.” I could see white light ahead, but it wasn’t the white light I had expected. Seriously, get real, a near blizzard in July! The highway was covered with snow, and it was coming down hard. A 7% grade is bad enough without adding snow to it. What a difference there was from one side of the mountain to the other.

Caves are a different breed of cat. They are like tunnels as I described above except that you enter and exit at the same opening. Many people may not know this, but Kansas City is full of huge man-made underground caves that house many warehouses and cold storage facilities, as do Carthage and Springfield, MO. It’s like entering a whole new world with paved roads, trucks, docks, and cars everywhere. You better know where you’re going and follow the signs because a wrong turn could get you lost and find yourself on a dead-end with not much room to turn around. It’s lit with lights and your eyes adjust quickly to the darker ambience. However, when exiting the cave, I suggest you have on sunglasses because the natural light is almost blinding. Isn’t it amazing how quickly we get acclimated to the darkness. Think about that and read on.

Without mountains there would be no valleys. Everything would be level. Valleys are the lowest points between two mountains or a mountain range and the ocean. They often follow the path of a river. Valleys are unique in so many ways. The San Joaquin valley in central California encompasses eight counties and is known for the many types of produce grown there. Further north is the Napa Valley which is in the heart of wine country. The Willamette Valley of Oregon was a sought-after destination by early settlers. Most valleys are productive with a few exceptions. Once you enter the Salt Flats in Utah on I80, there is absolutely nothing but salt. You can see the mountains at Wendover, NV and they look so near but are 60 miles away. The lowest point in the United States is in Death Valley, CA. At 282 ft below sea level, it is also one of the hottest places on earth in the summer often reaching over 120 degrees. No, thank you.

Symbolically speaking, our lives are composed of mountains, tunnels, caves, and valleys. If you were to categorize your life at this moment in time, which of those four would best describe your current physical, mental, or spiritual situation. Perhaps you feel like you are in Death Valley and are at the lowest point in your life, and the intense heat has consumed everything you once thought was worth living for. Young or old, maybe you feel like nobody cares. You feel forgotten, lonely, misunderstood, and abandoned. You secretly just wish you could die and end it all. The demonic voice of suicide whispers, “Just do it.” Tragically, far too many see that as the only way out. The Bible in Psalm 23 talks about the Valley of the Shadow of Death which we all will eventually face. For the believer in Jesus Christ, it is comforting to know that He leads us safely through and it passes like a shadow. Why would anyone choose to make it their eternal home, but such is the case of those who reject Christ. Many valleys are mentioned by name in the Bible and far too many to list here. Most valleys have rich soil that provide a source of income. It’s where homes are built, families are raised, day to day living happens, and battles are fought and won or lost. It can be a place of blessing and hardship, rain or drought, wealth and poverty, plenty and leanness, happiness and grief, sickness and health. It’s where dreams are fashioned and realized, and where whys are asked but not always answered. It’s the place where God calls you to come to Him on the mountain.

Many times, Jesus left the disciples and went up the mountain alone to pray. It was on the mountain that His glory was revealed to Peter, James, and John. It was on the mountain that Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac until God stopped him and blessed him for his obedience. Moses was on Mount Sinai for forty days in the presence of God receiving the commandments of God. It was on Mount Carmel that God demonstrated His power when the prophet Elijah built an alter and called upon His name. It was on a hill called Mount Calvary where Jesus was crucified and laid down His life for our sin. His disciples witnessed His ascension into Heaven from Mount Olivet. Climbing the many mountains of life is often a struggle, but when you reach the top, the valleys take on a whole new perspective and meaning. Many whys of the valleys are answered on the mountain tops. Problems become smaller and God shows and proves himself to be greater than them all. Your tunnel vision is eliminated and the distractions of the valley pale as your view of life is expanded. The voice of victory and thanksgiving shout from the mountain with echoes resounding down to the valleys past, present, and those to come. A word of advice: Enjoy the mountain tops, learn, and understand what they show you as they prepare you for the next valley. A word of caution: Come down slowly and don’t allow pride and overconfidence in yourself cause you to crash.

Life was not meant to be lived in a dark cave. Though we were all born in the darkness of sin, Jesus came to set us free that we might live an abundant life in His light. People live in caves by there own choice as it says in John 3:19-20, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.” Some who have known the light have let sin pull them back into the cave of darkness. The only way out is by the way they entered. Jesus said that His followers are to be light and salt. Light exposes and expels darkness and salt gives flavor. When they hide their light and loose their flavor (ability and desire to influence and change the culture through the truth of the gospel) they become like the Salt Flats. Their hearts become hard, nothing grows there, and people drive over them. (reference Matthew 5:13-15)

The Old Testament book of Joel is a prophesy about the Day of the Lord which is yet to happen. Jesus also spoke clearly about the terrible events that would take place upon the earth. It will be a day of wrath and judgement by God. The only way of escape is through Jesus Christ, by repenting of your sin, turning to Him and by faith receiving Him as your savior. Joel 3:32, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Nobody knows when that day will happen or when death will knock on your door. Today, and now, is the time to make the decision to accept Christ, because later may be too late. Joel 3:14 speaks about “multitudes, multitudes in the Valley of Decision”. Jesus is the light at the end of your tunnel. He’s calling you to come out of the dark cave of sin. Don’t look back as did Lot’s wife, desiring the things of the world, and was turned into a pillar of salt. Jesus wants to meet with you on the mountain top and walk with you through all life’s valleys. What will you decide?