As I watched the sun disappear behind the mountains, I realized I could no longer feel my fingers.
If there was one thing I wanted to avoid on my first alpine solo…
It was frostbite.
Perhaps, I thought…
One day I could still play some of these songs on the guitar.
So I made the decision to descend.
As I stumbled down the snow-filled gully, I noticed a crescent moon rising above the peaks.
A new month.
A new season.
Winter had officially arrived.
“Psalm 7” from Make the Way (Acoustic Album) — streaming and download:
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Lyrics:
Psalm 7
A, A, A, A/G, A, F, G
O Lord my God, in You my refuge
Would You save me and deliver me
From those who pursue, lest like lions
They tear my soul, with no one to redeem
F, G, A
O Lord my God, If I have done this
If there is wrong that’s in my hands
If I’ve repaid my friends with evil
And raided enemies with no good reason
Let them stomp my life until they’re done
Let them lay my glory to the ground
A, A, A, A/G, A, F, G
Arise O Lord, in Your anger
And lift Yourself against my enemies
Awake for me and cast Your judgment
Let people gather in assembly
F, G, A
The Lord that judges all the people
Will judge according to our righteousness
And let the evil of the wicked
Let all the wickedness come to an end
O Lord You test the minds and test the hearts
My shield, my God, You are the righteous judge
A, A, A, A/G, A, F, G
If there’s a man, who won’t repent
Just know the Lord is sharpening His sword
He bent the bow, He has prepared
The deadly weapons ready for the war
F, G, A
Behold the wicked, conceiving evil
They will fall down the hole that they prepared
And digging deeper amongst the sinful
They would not turn to Lord, lest they’d be spared
But I will thank the Lord for righteousness
And I will praise His name till world has passed
And I will praise His name till world has passed
The lake below had changed from emerald green to a deep blue, reflecting the night sky like an abyss beneath me.
I kept praying.
Grateful for everything I had witnessed.
Grateful that the Lord had allowed me to come this far.
And praying that He would also allow me to make it safely home.
By the time I reached the lake…
Darkness had settled in.
Everything was quiet.
Peaceful.
I knew…
The Lord had brought me this far…
He would bring me back.
I still had miles to the trailhead.
A few miles after a face-to-face encounter with a gigantic elk…
I noticed something.
Someone had drawn a line across the trail.
In the sand were four letters.
P A I N.
I stopped.
Prayed for whoever had written it.
Prayed that they had made it home safely.
Whether I choose to remember that day as an adventure…
A challenge…
One thing remains.
I am grateful.
The Lord is with me…
Every step of the way.