Climb the Mountain

“Climb the mountain” were the words I heard in my spirit as I waited on the Lord to seek direction for 2024.

I assumed that climbing the mountain would involve achieving, succeeding, or even reaching a new level.

I read and studied what it takes to scale peaks. The journey always concluded with glory and began with enthusiasm. But the in-between required guts, gumption, and great endurance.

I misread my potential mountain. It wasn’t a mountain of glory but a mountain of grief. Scaling this peak wouldn’t take me to the “top of the world”; instead, it would involve my world crashing down.

My mountain was losing my daughter—something I never imagined on January 1, 2024. This mountain didn’t just leave me gasping for breath; it threatened to leave me without it.

As the year winds to a close, five months later, I’m still climbing. This climb is now about learning to live with the pain. It’s about choosing to worship despite the grief and living purposefully, fueled by the pain.

The climb has been tragic, traumatic, and tiresome. I’ve come so close to giving up. My mind has played games, convincing me that living wasn’t worth it.

But as I look back, I realize and recognize that I haven’t climbed alone. Jesus has climbed with me. He cheered me on when I felt like quitting. He comforted me when I could cry no more. He heard me when I had no words to express the pain.

It’s not a mountain I chose, but it is a mountain divinely chosen for me. This climb has made me taste the grace of God, experience His proximity, and savor His comfort firsthand.

Ironically, this mountain has made me stronger despite being broken. It has given me a new perspective on the reality of eternity and clarity about my life’s purpose. Without Jesus, I could never have made it this far.

I encourage you to climb your God-ordained mountain. It will challenge you, but it will transform you. It will hurt, but it will grow you. And best of all, you will climb with God.

— Rajiv Chelladurai