On Wings of Eagles

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Stop me if you've heard this one: I had a revelation on top of the mountain.

But that's not what today's blog post is about. That's for tomorrow.

I come back from my youth group's annual ski trip with renewed strength and purpose. Sometimes you don't know how tired you are until you go and do something even more tiring. I am reminded of this after every completed hike - as I sit in a puddle of sweat and exhaustion and can feel the home fires burning nice and hot and bright. My short and sweet explanation is that it takes energy to create energy. The more you put out, the more you get.

God was with us this weekend. He was there on Lake Tahoe. He was smiling through the sunset. He provided a curtain of snow for the young lady from Madagascar that had never seen snow, much less touched it or played in it. He watched over us as we gondolaed to the top of Squaw Valley and skated in the outdoor ice rink at 8200 feet. He surrounded us and pierced us and bound us together.

The thing about altitude is, of course, that it affects you in unseen ways. With less oxygen in your head, you begin to slow down. Instead of rushing to do everything you can as fast as you can, it makes you stop and appreciate the world around you. It forces you to watch sunsets and sunrises. And in so doing, you can feel the spirit on the water and appreciate the calm and the quiet. Not just us older people are affected either, but even the youths grow tired and weary, and young people stumble and fall. But there is something about being together on a trip with the Lord. Even with less oxygen, you can't help but smile and feel invigorated and ready for whatever challenge should come next - from tubing to boarding to skiing to skating, there is never a lack of energy.

Still, I'm betting everyone slept really well last night.

Tomorrow, I shall discuss my big revelation (big to me, though I imagine the rest of you have already figured this one out a long time ago).