The Pit and the Mountaintop

 THE PIT

            Have you ever felt as if you have fallen into a deep, dark pit?  The cold clammy hand of gloom grips you.  There is no light, no warmth, only nothingness.  A voice whispers in your ear, “God does not love you.”  Another voice sneers, “How could God love you?”  Their hate-filled laughter is full of ridicule and jeering.  You know you must escape, but how?  You reach out your trembling hand and feel nothing.  Hope has fled this desolate place, abandoning you to Despair and Depression.  They love having you in their grasp. 

            You awaken in the morning and try to go back to sleep.  Daylight brings no comfort and you walk through life as if in a vacuum.  You snap at or ignore those around you.  “What is the point?” you ask Despair.  He gleefully answers, “There is no point, no rhyme, no reason!”   Depression baits you, “If God truly loved you, He would have answered your prayers – He answered Joe’s prayer, didn’t He?”  You sink lower into the pit – resigning yourself to this dark and dreadful place.  You are an outcast – unloved and overlooked. Not even God loves you and if He doesn’t love you then how could your spouse?  Your children?  Your so-called friends?  Why haven’t they called or stopped by for a visit?  Didn’t you send Carol a card when she was feeling blue?  And don’t you always call Sue for lunch or a cup of coffee?  Spite rears his ugly head and offers you a deal: don’t call or visit anyone and see how long it takes for someone to notice you’re gone or missing.  What?  It’s already been two weeks?  Two weeks and no one has called?  No one has missed you?  Don’t you see what has happened?  They don’t care about you.  No one cares about you.  You pushed yourself on them, intruded in their lives.  Loneliness takes your hand and leads you deeper into the darkness.

            As you sit in the shadows of the pit, a tiny spot of light appears.  Encouragement speaks softly, “God does love you!  His Son, Jesus, died just for you!  Remember!  Remember His Sacred Word, the blessed hymns, those things you’ve read and heard!  Your family and friends are busy with their lives, but they love you and care deeply about you.  Reach out to them and they will respond.”  Suddenly Encouragement is extinguished by the mocking laughter of Rejection.  “You?  Loved?  Sure they love you.  But you know better than that.  You’ve given up so much for those people and when have they ever reached back?  Okay maybe a token here or there, but why should you reach out to them?  They should KNOW you need them!  If God loved you then why did He let your father die?  Or saved your business when it began to fail?  But no!  He turned His back on you and laughed as He walked away.  You know it He could have easily arranged for your lottery number to come up when it had reached $60 million.  Think of all you could have done with that money… you have thought about it, haven’t you?  You told God what you would do with all that money and still He ignored you and let some greedy person win who wasted it on trivial things.”  Pity spoke up “God doesn’t need you.  You are a mere human – who are you to think God would listen to your sniveling?”

            Anything during this time of darkness that is good and holy is offensive to you.  You don’t want to hear anything positive and you definitely do not want to pray!  Unbelief steps forward and tells you that there really is no God – just a figment of some warped man’s imagination.  There is nothing after death – it is over.  Gluttony pokes you and tells you “Live for today!  Take advantage of the other guy because he is planning on taking advantage of you!  Beat him at his own game!  Look around you; the only time the good guy wins is in the movies or fairy tales!  Death and Destruction are in control of the world these days.”

            You feel alone, lost, and in pain.  You know that what the demons are saying is all true.  All you ever wanted in life was to be happy – no pain, no grief, enough money to buy the things you desire, the authority to tell people what they’re doing wrong and help them become better people!  You know what’s best for others – you just know.  You desire to be loved, to live in a large house with a swimming pool, and drive a fancy new car.  You want a spouse who adores you and children who are obedient and loving.  You deserve to have it all, but you don’t.  God hasn’t seen fit to “bless” you.  Why do those who refuse to follow the rules end up millionaires?  You’ve followed the rules – attend church every week, pray every day, obey the laws of the land – you’ve never even had a speeding ticket and yet you live paycheck-to-paycheck – always struggling.  Something is always breaking down and needing to be repaired.  Just when it looks like you’re getting ahead or something wonderful is about to happen – it is ruined.

            And yet, you do remember reading the scriptures stories about Jesus dying for you.  And about those who had felt abandoned only to be restored by God’s love.  A fleeting memory appears of a time when you felt the warmth of God’s love.  A tiny shaft of light begins to pierce the darkness.  It is faint, but it is there.  You sense someone beside you and look to find Confusion.  “You are troubled”, he speaks, sounding like a wise old man, “You have heard and seen much and yet you cannot decide what is Truth and what are lies.  Do not trust your feelings for they can be manipulated – look at reality.  The world is filled with hate, violence, and horrible wars.  How can there be a God when there is so much ugliness in the world?”  The faint light suddenly grew brighter, “But what of the goodness?  The beauty?”   Light and Dark are beginning to clash.  You are caught in the middle as they battle for your soul.  You can only stand by and watch.  You are aware in the deepest crevice of your soul that you are a child of God.  An heir to the Kingdom by your baptism.  You hold on to that - the very shirttails of your Guardian Angel who now reveals himself and lays claim to you.  You attempt to pray, but Despair chides you, “What’s the use?  He won’t listen to you!”  You are torn – you know the Truth and yet there is some comfort in Despair’s company.  It’s easier to blame others than to pick up the cross and follow Jesus.

            Slowly, your Guardian Angel guides you through the darkness of the pit up towards the light and warmth.  Hope and Faith embrace you.  “We never really left you.” They smile and you somehow know that is true.  You wonder why God would allow you to slip into the pit and you realize it was you who went voluntarily.  You kneel down and acknowledge your weakness and sinfulness.  You let Jealousy, Envy, and Gossip lead you into the pit like Pinocchio to Pleasure Island.

            You are about to climb completely out of the pit when a huge boulder hits you, knocking you back into the pit.  Fear stands before you, hands on hips, “Hello?  Do you think God is going to turn His head and look the other way after all you’ve done?”  You try to cry out to the Father.  “He won’t hear us,” whispers Deceit.  Fear continues “Remember how He treated the people in the Old Testament?  He destroyed them for less than what you have done?  You are sinful and He hates sin!  Hide here with us and you’ll be safe.”  And so you seek shelter in the darkest corner of the pit.  It’s true!  You are sinful – God could never forgive the things you’ve done!  You close all the shades and pull the covers up close around you and withdraw.  There are times when you must venture out into the world and so you put up barriers to prevent Goodness from getting too close to you.

            Anger becomes your closest companion.  “How could he…?  She is always telling lies about me!  It’s not fair!” continually drip from Anger’s lips.  Someone in the darkness yells, “PITY PARTY!”  and the darkness intensifies, grows colder.  They are all there to help celebrate your pain – Anger, Despair, Depression, Hate, Envy, Greed, Jealousy, Self-Righteousness, Deception, Confusion, Doubt.  There is a new face in the crowd – dressed in black from head to toe – Death has come to the party.  The air is thick with hopelessness and guilt.  Will you ever feel warm again?  Will you ever be filled with joy and laughter?  Have you been a complete fool to believe that God exists and cares?

            The light again begins to penetrate the bleakness.  Hope has dared to enter the pit and whispers in your ear, “Jesus is coming for you.”  Doubt jumps in and reminds you God has abandoned you.  Despair joins in and surrounds you with Hate and Anger.  You cry out to God with Anger prompting you.  “How could you?  Why have you put me here?  Why have you turned your back on me?  Anger continues to fuel your speech, enjoying the power flowing through you.  Before Anger realizes what is happening, your ranting turns into a hurting soul crying out to the Father for deliverance.  Anger falls from his perch, stunned.  Hope grabs you and lifts you up into the arms of the One who truly loves you.  You reach up and throw your arms around Jesus as He lifts you up and out of the pit.

            You weep as Joy and Love encircle you.  Peace appears and rests on your heart.  You look back at the pit and realize that you have once again been rescued from that horrid place.  You turn to face the Father and fall on your knees in worship, thanking Him for His unwavering love.  He hugs you close and reminds you He loves you.  He tells you to hold fast to His Word – keep the scriptures close to your heart.  When things begin to look bleak, hold fast.

THE MOUNTAIN TOP

            Take the pit and the mountaintop is the EXACT opposite experience!  In the pit, the darkness and bleakness is beyond adequate description.  On the mountaintop, there is more Light and joy than the human body can handle.  The Sacred Scriptures describe it as unspeakable joy.  Every fiber of your being is filled with the Holy Spirit.  You are beyond the reach of the Evil One.  You are communing with the Angels – praising God and being engulfed with intense Love.  Your vision is clear and unobstructed for you know who you are- a child of the Most High God, you know where you are headed, and you’re willing to not just carry the Cross and follow Jesus, but you’ll dance every step of the way.

            God smiles, knowing that your happiness and joy is full.  It is as He wishes for all His children – you know God is God and an awesome One who seeks to bless His children with all that is good.  You have given control over your life and are fearless.  You are bold and courageous, willing to step up and be counted among the followers of Christ.  You pledge your undying loyalty and beg God to send you into battle.  Jesus sits with the Father and smiles – knowing that you are sincere in your pledge, but They know the battle is fierce.  There will be times when pledges will be forgotten, when belief will wane, and once again They will need to go into the pit and wrench us from the clutches of Evil. The Holy Spirit blesses us as we revel in the presence of the Holy Trinity.

            It is on the mountaintop you are rejuvenated.  It is here where you gain strength to continue on your journey.  You have a glimpse into Heaven and receive a token of God’s immeasurable Love to carry with you in your daily battles.  It is on the mountaintop that you become aware that without God you are defenseless, without Jesus you are left to Death, without the Holy Spirit you are alone in your fight.

Joy, Happiness, Hope, Faith surround you here on the mountaintop for you are no longer earthbound.  There is a compulsion to spread your joy with everyone you meet.  You want to hug and sing and rejoice in the sharing of God’s love.  Someone yells, “WORSHIP PARTY!”  You go down on bended knee and sing the praises of God.  Emotions are strong as tears of incredible happiness stream down your radiant face.  The Peace of Christ settles on your soul – the hand of God has touched you.  You want to jump, dance, shout, and sing.  There is only Light, Joy, an overwhelming feeling of Love, Acceptance, and a desire to share all that you are experiencing.  You see people as Jesus sees them – lovable, acceptable, children of the Holy One.

            After a mountain top experience, there is usually exhaustion.  Your human body cannot sustain such Godly joy, but you do carry that “token” that will remind you of those wonderful times.  You can hold onto the peace of the Holy Spirit.  It is a lifeline for those times when you are nearing the edge of or have fallen into the pit.  You are a child of God!  He has claimed you and you are His.  The Blood of Christ covers you and protects you.

  

IN BETWEEN:

            There are times when we are neither in the pit nor on the mountaintop.  This is where we spend most of our time: in between.  Unfortunately there is no valley for us to rest – that comes later.  We are always moving, always struggling.  Sometimes we go back and forth: climbing up the mountain then headed towards the pits then climbing the mountain again.

            So how do we stay out of the pit and if we fall into the pit, how do we get out?  The following list is far from complete, but it offers a few suggestions. 

Ø  Know (remember) that God always answers prayers.  Sometimes the answer is “no”, sometimes the answer is “yes”, and sometimes the answer is “wait”.

Ø  Strengthen your faith during the mountain top times by memorizing scriptures verses, hymns, and good advice from wise people.

Ø  PRAY!  If you don’t “feel” like praying – that’s when you need it the most!  Pray that you will feel like praying.

Ø  Be thankful!  Remember to look for the blessings in your life.  They are all around you.

Ø  Read the Sacred Scriptures daily.  Five minutes a day is better than nothing.

Ø  Reach out to solid faith-filled friends.  People are not mind readers – let them know when you have a special need!

Ø  Cling to hope and belief in Jesus.

Ø  Pray for others and their needs.  Pray for those who live in the pit and don’t know how to get out and may not want to get out.

Ø  “Commit random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty”.

Ø  Be humble – God has given all you have to you.

Ø  Be kind to one another.  We are all children of God.

Ø  Trust God!  Even in times of pain, suffering, and grief God is faithful.