I have really enjoyed hiking up Mount Peak in Enumclaw twice in the last
week with my lovely wife Elizabeth. Well, wait just a moment: enjoyed might be
too strong a word! I’ve loved having time with my wife; I have loved the
interaction with folks coming down and going up the one mile climb; I have
absolutely LOVED the weather…but…concerning how I feel as I’m hiking…that’s
another topic for another entry: perhaps one on pain or misery!
What was the most striking was one comment from a
gentleman while we were descending the steep gravel road on the back side of “Peak”
as it’s known by the locals. He was jogging down a side trail and as he emerged
from the bushes and branches, I casually said “How’s it going?” His reply stuck
in my head: “Oh you know,” he stated, “living the dream!”
That’s a curious phrase to me. It’s certainly not the first
time I’ve heard it. It is, however, the first time I have become this
analytical about it. “Living the dream;” does that mean that you actually DREAM
about Mount Peak and now you’re living it because you’re here? For me, with the
agony my body feels as it’s ascending, a better response would be “Living the
nightmare!” But under closer examination, I think I know what he meant.
I’m sure he was reflecting on one of the “out of character”
warm days here in the Puget Sound (88 degrees when this adventure took place,
breaking the all time high of 79 for the same day in 1957). I’m sure he was
impacted by the gorgeous surroundings of this 1,800 foot peak that rises up out
of a relatively flat surrounding area. And perhaps he was even more reflective
than that: realizing that there are some that would love to come up and climb
but for physical issues are unable.
Reflecting on his comment caused me a bit of chagrin. While
my first impression was “I’m living the dream too because I’m on my way down,” the
more I thought about it the more I realized how grateful I should be, even for
the pain. There are others that would love to make this climb and feel that
same pain I’m dissing, but for a variety of reasons aren’t able.
I thought of
some of those unfortunate, innocent race goers in Boston that now don’t have
legs due to the reckless acts of two alleged bomb makers. I thought of the men
and women that went far from their homes to try and secure freedom for other
countries and have come home without limbs. I thought of folks in our
congregation that due to health issues have slowed greatly that would, at one time, have nearly galloped up
this road, but now are tethered to oxygen or other health support devices.
“Living
the dream!” Certainly, because there are those that can only dream; who won’t get
another crack at living it.
We all need a good wake up call now and again; and this one
was mine. Can you look around you and see what it is that you take for granted?
Maybe it’s a relationship, a person, your job, your home, maybe something or
someone that generally is the brunt of more complaints than affirmations. Can
you agree that you probably really are living the dream? Maybe you just
need someone to shake you!
James, in the New Testament, serves that purpose
well. He writes: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from
the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change…What
is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then
vanishes. Instead you ought to say ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this
or that.’” (James 1:17, 4:14-15).
