A life lesson from an attempt to climb Mount Vesuvius

My wife Jennie and I had the great opportunity to visit Italy as an early 20th anniversary trip. It was the best time of the school year for us to leave our daughter with grandparents. We were grateful for the hotel points and Delta miles that made the trip amazingly reasonable. Then we got the idea that we should climb Mount Vesuvius.

Mount Vesuvius is an active volcanic mountain close to the city of Naples Italy. It is famous for the eruption in AD 79 that created a frozen in time feel for the ancient city of Pompeii. Jennie and I took the train to the city of Pompeii and saw the amazing almost 2000 year old ruins of the city. We imagined this city bustling with people about the time that Jesus was walking on earth.

We were told that there was a place nearby you could get a ride to close to the top of Mount Vesuvius and take like a 30 minute hike to see inside the mountain. Jennie said she wanted to give it a try so up the side of the mountain we took the trolley type vehicle. They dropped us off, told us when to meet the trolley again and we were on our own.

As we begin to climb the mountain we realized that this was not going to be a leisurely stroll. We passed benches where people were sitting given up. But we pressed on up the mountain. As some point in the climb Jennie got a cramp in her leg that she couldn’t get rid of by stretching. The pain got worse and worse so that she was only able to walk a few steps at a time.

I assured her that she did not need to keep climbing on my account, but she wanted to keep trying. Every time she had to stop we discussed if we should just head back down the mountain. It soon became a discussion of “when” we would head down not “if” we would head back down. Jennie however said she wanted to at least go as far as she could climb. I climbed a little ahead of her and noticed a roof in the distance. We decided that it must be a rest stop. We would climb to that point take some pictures and head back down.

I was impressed with Jennie as she push on to the building. When we finally made it to the building they were selling water and other items. It was then that I realized that less than 20 feet away was a place to look in and see the mountain. We had actually made it. Yes, you could climb further and see all the way around the edge but we were at the top!

This drove home a very important lesson to me. You may be closer to your victory than you think. God has given you a challenge to take on and you are feeling discouraged today. You don’t see an end in sight. You may be further than you think. The author of Hebrews would encourage us to fix our eyes on Jesus and keep moving.

[tweetthis]You may be closer to your victory than you think.[/tweetthis]

Maybe you are a stay a home mom with four little kids running around driving you crazy. If they fight one more time you figure you are going to explode. I was talking to a lady who just graduated her first from high school. She said that the saying that it goes faster than you think is so true. So you are closer to the top than you think.

Maybe you are a business owner who is plodding away at the business God gave you to start. It seems like you are only taking one small step at a time. Keep plodding away! You may be closer to the goal than you think.

Or maybe you just look out at the world and are discouraged. Maybe you are discouraged by the political landscape and the state of the world as shown to us by CNN. As Paul wrote to the people who lived near Mount Vesuvius, “Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11 NLT) So don’t give up because you may be closer to your victory than you even imagine!

10 Books That I Have Loved On Prayer

One encounter could change the direction of your life. I think of conversations that I have had that stuck with me for years to come. Some of these interactions are because I have sat down with a mentor and had a conversation in person. Sometimes those interactions were through their books and they may even have lived hundreds of years ago.

As we close in on the summer here in the United States as I write this let me throw a challenge to you. Would you have an interaction with a spiritual hero that could last you for the rest of your life? If you are looking some suggestions let me introduce you to some classics that should help you get started.

(Note the links that I include will give a small percentage to the ministry if you buy it that way, but feel free to buy it through your favorite method if you prefer)

Experiencing God-Henry Blackaby: This book (or workbook) will take you head first into the adventure of following Jesus. Although not only a book on prayer the backdrop of prayer is vital for everything that is said. It is also great for a group study.

Red Moon Rising- Pete Greig: The next five on my list are stories of people’s journey. I love how other people’s lives can help me understand my own. This book gives the back story of the 24-7 prayer movement going on in Europe right now.

The Autobiography of George Muller: I have read lots on the life of George Muller. His adventure of prayer to build orphanages in England is an encouragement still today. Be prepared to have your faith challenged.

Praying Hyde- E.G. Carre– This missionary to India took his prayer life to a level most will be amazed by when they hear it. Don’t get discouraged because you are not at his level. Rather I let his life challenge me with the result that his life accomplished.

The Practice of the Presence of God-Brother Lawrence– Although technically a group of letters this book gives a look at the life of a man who worked in the kitchen of a monastery in Paris. His teaching on prayer has stood the test of time for hundreds of years.

A Year of Living Prayerfully-Jared Brock– Although I have done a full post on this book I figured I should include it in this list. This is one man’s journey to try and grow his prayer life. His travels around the world make for fun and engaging reading.

Prayer-Richard Foster– Foster is known most for his book The Celebration of Discipline but I really enjoyed his book on prayer as well. This book is a little denser than the other books that I have recommended but the richness is worth the effort.

The Divine Conspiracy-Dallas Willard– Speaking of dense books let me throw in Dallas Willard’s 448 page book on the Sermon on the Mount. Dallas Willard was a philosophy professor at the University of Southern California and the book is written at that level without the textbook feel. Although not technically a prayer book if you are looking for a challenge this could be a great book for you.

The Hour that Changes the World- Dick Eastman– I read this book when I was 13 years old and it changed my prayer life forever. The book lays out a simple plan to pray for an hour. This is probably the book that I have most recommended on the life of prayer.

Knowing God- JI Packer– Again this is not technically a prayer book but can be a great help to a prayer life. Packer walks the reader through various attributes of God. Knowing who you are praying to makes your prayer life deeper.

Don’t get overwhelmed by the size of the list, just pick one and get started. Whoever you interact with, I pray that your prayer life grows in the months and years ahead as you learn from the wisdom of our brothers and sisters who have gone before us.