I received my mom’s death certificates in the mail today. I guess it’s real.

I can see April 27 in the distance. It’s like looking at Mt. Everest for me. My friends Rick Poole, his wife Meagan and his daughter Sydney are actually climbing Mt. Everest as I write this. They will arrive at basecamp tomorrow. The elevation at Everest basecamp is 17,600 feet. They will stay there for a while. Meagan and Sydney will turn around and come home. Rick is going to summit Mt. Everest at 29,029 feet. It’s taken him eight years of training, three summits of major elevations and ‘school’ to get to this level. There are requirements for climbers to summit Mt. Everest. Experienced sherpas and guides won’t take just anyone. Well….maybe they do if someone has the chops to pay them enough. It’s still one of the most grueling climbs in the world. I invited Rick, Meagan and Sydney to come speak to us when they all get home.

We all have our Mt. Everest, don’t we?

April 27 is the day my brother and I will host a visitation and memorial service for my mom in her hometown. She left there fifty years ago. She visited on occasion throughout the years but lived most of her life away from ‘home.’ The church where we will host the visitation and service is our family church. Six generations of my mother’s family has worshipped in that church. My mom was baptized there. She was a God send to my grandparents. Two infant sons died between the birth of my mother and her middle sister. I cannot even imagine the trauma of burying two infant sons. I discovered the truth of their situation myself. No one shared that information with me until I asked about the names imprinted onto the two separate headstones near my grandmother. Now my mother will be buried there too. Nearly all of them gathered together in one place like a hen and her chicks.

All this life is training. There is nothing wasted in the spiritual life. Everything matters and contributes to the character being formed within us. I believe it is God’s great hope that we resemble Jesus. We have a biological family but we are to have a spiritual family resemblance to Jesus. Our inner self needs to reflect Him. Life is the classroom and events are the tests. We cannot shy away from the exams. We have times when we are tested. I believe it is during the difficult times we learn the most. Think about it. Did you learn more when you were going through difficulties, challenges and downright crappy times? Or did you learn the most when everything was copacetic and tranquil with no challenges whatsoever?

April 27 probably isn’t Everest. It’s more like basecamp. I assure you it will be hard to breathe at that elevation and it will be difficult to greet all people who stop by to pay their respects. Each person is part of my mother’s greater story. They all bring memories, myths and fables. My brother and I will listen to all they have to say and then we will have something to say after we worship our awesome God for a while. Bill will be with me. He will be my sherpa. My perfect guide God gave me because I could not climb this high on my own safely.  

I think a lot about Abraham climbing that mountain with his son Isaac. I can relate to his mountain climbing story because these 40 days have been a difficult time for me. Bill and I walked alongside John and Ashley, Marc and Sarah for a while. Ash Wednesday was the same day as my birthday. My mom died as Spring was announced via our calendars. Each day brings with it such complexity or challenge as we climb. From each elevation the most breathtaking beauty is revealed. I understand the view from the summit is visually astonishing and overwhelmingly emotional for the climber. I suppose that’s how Abraham would describe it. He heard God’s voice at the summit. Once to stop him and once to confirm a promise pregnant with a blessing. That’s it. 

When someone asks you why you climbed your Everest. You can tell them because it was there. Be grateful for the people you may have already intersected with throughout your climb. Imagine the people you may still come into contact with and the person you may become. Somewhere along that climb you will meet Abraham and Isaac. Be sure to take some time and get to know them. They have a story you will want to hear.

Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba.And Abraham stayed in Beersheba. Genesis 22:19

Pastor Jen