Every Friday, my children and I go to the local donut shop. They joyfully call it Donut Friday.   This past Friday was no different.  We had just finished our donuts,  I was drinking the last of my coffee, when all of a sudden my calendar on my phone started buzzing. I looked at my cellphone and it said “Hike Nebo with God: Faith & Friendships” starts in 10 minutes. 

Now immediately I was reminded that back in the Fall of 2022, I was doing a little praying and was going through a process called “Prophesy your year”.  Basically, living in a world where we do serve a God that does still speak to us.  Why would I not want to pray through my day to day activities and see what God would have for me.  So back in November, while praying, I got to the month of June.  I asked God to show me what he had for me in the month of June, and I immediately heard the date June 16th. Ok Lord, is there anything specific you have for me on June 16th?  I saw a picture of Mt. Nebo, which is a small mountain about 10 miles from our home.  Lord what do you have concerning Mt. Nebo? This is a place that I love to go and pray and I journaled a lot of “The Man in the Window” while sitting at the overlook watching the valley.   I heard the Lord say “I want to go on a hike with you and talk to you about Faith and Friendships”.    I journaled this into my notebook and then saved this to my calendar as a reminder. 

 

Let me preface this part with I am not a hiker, I really am not in that great of shape. So for the Lord to call me to hike Nebo with him would be a stretch of any imagination.  Honestly the word went into the notebook and disappeared.   So I went home from the donut shop, now regretting eating those two donuts and drinking coffee.   I walked into my living room, where my wife was and said “I know we had some plans this morning, but I forgot that God had scheduled a meeting with me on Mt. Nebo today.  She looks at me weirdly, probably like most of you that are reading this.  I asked if she minded, and she said something to the extent of “Well, if God told you to do it, then you have to do it, I’m not gonna get in the way of that.” 

 

So I loaded up my 6 month old Boston Terrier Oliver Wigglesworth Howell and we headed up the mountain.   Oliver came to live with us about 1 month before my daughters wedding.  My wife and kids felt like Dad needed a friend, someone that could sit in my lap, would be happy to see me.  It’s kind of scary when your kids start telling you that you need a dog so you can have a friend.  Oliver has been great though. We walk 2-3 miles a day, I get to have all sorts of conversations with him, and he is a pretty good listener.   I’ve noticed over the last 3 months that walking 3 miles a day is a lot easier. (Perhaps the Lord was preparing me the last three months for this hike?). 

 

Oliver and I start on the trail, I have some worship music playing, just waiting to hear God speak to me about Faith.  As we went along the trail, I was able to pray out loud, thanking God for each of the blessings in my life.  We stopped at the overlooks, in the end it was a beautiful 2 1/2 hours of just worship & prayer.  So where did “Faith” come into this hike?

 

I noticed that in the beginning at the trailhead, we were on the easy path and Oliver would run out in front of me, when we got to different parts of the path, where the trail split he always chose the easiest path. Sometimes he was right, others he was about to take me on a treacherous climb that I might not survive!    Towards the end of the hike, we had some pretty steep climbs.  Whenever there was stairs or rocks to climb, Oliver would hang back, let me get back in front and follow me up the stairs.  Easy ground, he’s running ahead. Steep climbs up or down, he’s stopping and waiting.   

 

The Lord started speaking to me the last 1/2 mile.  I felt like he showed me that my faith was similar to Oliver’s.  Where it was easy, familiar ground, I run ahead without having to rely on God. But each time it’s difficult, steep, I then come back to the Father with my Faith.   How there are splits in the trailheads, and it’s easy to take the easier path, but God has to sometimes bring it back to the path he had for me, b/c he can read the signs.  I felt like the Lord said he wants my faith in all of the journey, not just when it seems difficult.  Making day to day decisions with him in all walks of life, it’s wiser to be behind and following the Lord than relying on my own energy.  

 

In the end, Oliver and I survived the hike.  He slept the whole way home, got home and went and slept some more.   It will take a bit to process everything that the Father showed me that day on the mountaintop, but I’m thankful for that appointment and being invited by God to go on the hike.  In the end, he just wanted to spend time with me. Even if it meant scheduling it 7 months prior.  

 

Be encouraged, 

 

DHowell

6-22-23