I knew that Nepal was going to be a country that I really liked but I didn’t know that I was going to fall in love with it the way that I have. I’m not sure if it is because of the beauty that this country possesses and the way it just boasts of it’s Creator, or if it is because of the work and growth that God has done in me since being here, but one thing is for sure, being in this country has opened my eyes on so many levels. It is more beautiful than I could have imagined and I almost don’t have the words to accurately depict the incredible country that I currently call home.
The foothills of the Himalayas surround me and on a clear day the vast, snow capped mountains peek through the clouds. They are so unbelievable that I feel like I am looking out at a postcard. Layers upon layers of rice patty fields cover the hills in a shades of green and the valleys encompass quaint and colorful homes below, where simple living and beautiful culture dwells. Winding roads hug the edges of these valleys and frame the still beauty below.
This past weekend a group of us drove about five hours outside of Kathmandu to the town of Pokhara, Nepal for the weekend and the views were just the beginning. God used this weekend to not only completely take my breath away and remind me of how great and mighty He is but also to remind me of the way that he views me.
Since it is right near the Annapurna Mountain Range Pokhara is a big trekking area, so we took Saturday afternoon to hike up to Dhampus Village, a high point outside of Pokhara, which connects to the Annapurna circuit. We hiked up there so we could clearly see and admire the mountains that we’ve seen only glimpses of from our Kathmandu view.
The four of us started our hike to the top of Dhampus and it was not what I expected. The sun was beating down on us, the mountain we hiked was at a steep, steep incline and it was a never-ending path of rocks and stone stairs and steps that felt almost vertical. Needless to say, I was hurting quite early on in the hike and little did I know that there would be a total of 4,000 steps to climb before reaching the top. About halfway through I was tired and breathing heavy, I had finished drinking my Nalgene of water so I was thirsty, and we didn’t really know where we were going other than ‘up’. My legs were burning and I was drenched in sweat but I knew it would be worth it, I kept telling myself it would be worth it. It had to be worth it.
When we woke up for the sunrise early the next morning we were not disappointed. There was a perfectly clear sky and a stunning sunrise over the breathtaking Annapurna mountain range and all my frustrations and complaints from the afternoon before melted from my memory. My view was totally worth the pain and exhaustion from the hike.
Before seeing the Himalayas so close, I have never experienced such vast beauty the way I did in that morning. The mountains were such a picture of peace and creativity and I couldn’t help but praise God for their beauty. In that moment I was reminded of a truth that I am so quick to forget about:
God created the earth and everything in this world: the mountains, the valleys, the oceans, the landscapes, the sunrises and sunsets. He created everything that is beautiful in the world and He is pleased with it. He knows that what He has made in nature is good but after the world was created He created made man in His image. He created me just as He created the beauty of the world yet He looks at people, at His sons and daughters, at me, and says that we are very good. We’re not just a work of art: we are His masterpieces. He looks at His children and thinks that we are more beautiful than the beauty in nature. It is absolutely insane that the Creator of the Universe looks at you and me and feels the way I did after seeing the mountains: captivated and totally in awe!
Since being on the Race the Lord has been showing me more of who I am and who He has truly created me to be. He’s been revealing a lot to me about myself and some of it has been difficult to process through. I am struggling with giving up control in some areas of my life and I know that to really step into the full freedom He has for me, just like the challenging hike up to the mountains, I will have to go through pain and struggles before getting to experience the beauty on the other side. I’m learning that I have to give up control to Him in the challenges and trust that He will be with me through the hike up the mountains because I know that He’ll be faithful in showing me the beauty and freedom that will come from it.
I never could have guessed that the Lord would show me so much through this past weekend but He is using my time in Nepal for something greater than I could have expected and I know that He is just beginning to reveal bits and pieces of what the next nine months will hold!
