One Month to Live Day 11

Everest...

Never in my wildest dreams would I ever even attempt it. That is just not who I am. I am not the thrill-seeker, live-on-the-edge type of person. I don't totally avoid risk, but my idea of a risk is...asking someone I have never met before if I can pray for them or riding a horse...I am terrified of them. I used to LOVE amusement parks when I was a child/teenager and the last time I went to Six Flags, I rode the Superman Tower of Power. I really thought my heart was going to bust. I was mush on the inside and out when I got off of that thing. It was just TOO MUCH for me! I can't imagine being the kind of person who would attempt to conquer the earth's highest point.

It's true in a literal sense, I am no Apa Sherpa. But in a relational sense, I've climbed a few mountains. Haven't we all? If you have ever had one relationship of any kind with one person, then you have definitely climbed a mountain in the "Relational Mountain Range". Kerry talks about the three mountains we climb in the relational mountain range...Mountain of Misunderstanding, Me-First Mountain, and Mountain of Mistakes. So in a relational sense I am Apa Sherpa...I'm pretty sure I've climbed all of these mountains MORE than 11 times just in the 8 short years we have been married.

The one I can identify most with is the Me-First Mountain. When I face the Mountain of Misunderstanding,I can talk the misunderstanding out till I am blue in the face if that is what it takes to make sure I am on the same page as the other person. And I can ask for and give forgiveness pretty easily while climbing the Mountain of Mistakes. But the Me-First Mountain is one, not that I have trouble climbing, but I'm pretty sure I stand on top of yelling down to the other person, "I'll come down and help you when you do what I need you to!!!" In my marriage, I want to be the wife Jacoby wants, needs and deserve-but if I feel like he is not doing what I want, need and deserve, I can be the opposite.

While Jacoby and I were reading together today and we got to the "Make it Count Moment", I read aloud question 1."Which of these three mountains has derailed your key relationships most recently? Most key relationship (other than with God) being marriage. On three say your answer (insert grin on my face here). 1, 2, 3." I say "Me-First Mountain" and he says "Mountain of Mistakes". I'm thinking..."No wonder we aren't on the same "page" sometimes, we aren't even on the same mountain!

When climbing these mountains of misunderstandings, selfishness, and mistakes...we can sometimes feel like we are at war. And when you are at war you long for peace, you sometimes can't see it or imagine it but there is hope, right? We can lower down that rope of acceptance, we can give traction with those loving actions, and be tethered to forgiveness. Acceptance, love, and forgiveness...I picture them as the valleys in between the mountains. When you find yourself at that point exhaustion and no hope while climbing that mountain, just go down to the valley. There is peace in the valley.

What mountain do you keep gettin stuck on? Or maybe you can't even make it to the top? What keeps you from achieving the peace in your relationship that the valley offers?