"Several years ago I had the opportunity of hiking Mount Sinai. It was a very significant experience in my life. I started in the early morning when the stars were still spread across the darkness and watched from the peak of the mountain the world illuminate beneath me as the sun rose. Pilgrims who had come seeking spiritual enlightenment surrounded me, adding a cosmic quality to the journey. I remember thinking I would never experience anything quite like it again. My friend who was with me, however, said that we could have many "Sinai experiences" in our lives and that we should seek these experiences."
"Even Moses had several Sinai experiences as recorded in the Old Testament and the Pearl of Great Price. In these experiences the Lord not only presented Moses with his mission and the commandments but also gave him a vision of the earth from her creation to the eternal life of her inhabitants. Like Moses, we have Sinai experiences when from a heightened and spiritual perspective we see and wonder at the workmanship of the Lord’s hands and come to understand our place in the world and our purpose for the future." (Excerpts taken from BYU Speech given by Sarah Ann Seely, August 2007).
I have also had the awesome opportunity of watching the sun rise while standing on top of Mt. Sinai. I remember the words of a hymn running through my head, "Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior, God to Thee, how Great Thou Art, How Great Thou Art". The view from the top of the mountain was breathtaking as well as unforgettable, but came at a substantial price. You often hear of people's bliss at the top of Mt. Sinai, but few mention the work required to reach the destination.
My Sinai experience began in the middle of the night with my BYU Jerusalem class many years back. (I had the added frustration of a back that was lobster red from my 7 hour snorkeling experience on the Red Sea the day prior, but it didn't stop me from making the hike. ) Students were given the options of either riding a camel half way up the mountain (to the endless stairs chiseled out of the side of the mountain) or braving it on foot the entire way. I took pride in the toughness of my "foot-trek", as I wanted to earn every step to the treat I knew awaited me upon ascension. Back and forth we wove through the dirt until we hit the stairs. Oh, the endless stairs. It seemed as if they wouldn't stop until we hit the pearly gates ushering us into heaven. Many people gasped for air and "tossed their cookies" along the strenuous stretch upward. Looking back now, I am so grateful for the sacrifice and work required to reach the top because it added greatly to the beautiful vantage point from the top.
I have also had the awesome opportunity of watching the sun rise while standing on top of Mt. Sinai. I remember the words of a hymn running through my head, "Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed. Then sings my soul, my Savior, God to Thee, how Great Thou Art, How Great Thou Art". The view from the top of the mountain was breathtaking as well as unforgettable, but came at a substantial price. You often hear of people's bliss at the top of Mt. Sinai, but few mention the work required to reach the destination.
My Sinai experience began in the middle of the night with my BYU Jerusalem class many years back. (I had the added frustration of a back that was lobster red from my 7 hour snorkeling experience on the Red Sea the day prior, but it didn't stop me from making the hike. ) Students were given the options of either riding a camel half way up the mountain (to the endless stairs chiseled out of the side of the mountain) or braving it on foot the entire way. I took pride in the toughness of my "foot-trek", as I wanted to earn every step to the treat I knew awaited me upon ascension. Back and forth we wove through the dirt until we hit the stairs. Oh, the endless stairs. It seemed as if they wouldn't stop until we hit the pearly gates ushering us into heaven. Many people gasped for air and "tossed their cookies" along the strenuous stretch upward. Looking back now, I am so grateful for the sacrifice and work required to reach the top because it added greatly to the beautiful vantage point from the top.Isn't life sometimes like this? Do you ever experience endless stairs that make you gasp for air as you wonder if the end result will really be worth the pain? I know quite a few people in my life right now who are climbing those stairs... those darn stairs. But I know, from experience, that those things we come to cherish the most in life are those things which required the most sacrifice from us. So I say to those climbing... YALLAH (Hebrew for "Let's go!") The efforts given WILL pay off in the end if you just keep putting one foot in front of the other. And so life goes :o)
