Mountain Climbing
By Jennie Pierce
“As it is, there are many parts, but one body…Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:20, 27
By Jennie Pierce
“As it is, there are many parts, but one body…Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12:20, 27
Refusing to let physical limitations get in their way, Erica Davis and Tara Butcher were determined to climb the more than 19,000-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro. Erica, a paraplegic, and Tara, a below-the-knee amputee, looked beyond what they didn’t have to what they did have with a good, solid support group. Their purpose? To benefit a non-profit organization, showing other handicapped people that there is no need to accept their limitations as a limitation. (1)
If anyone had legitimate excuses why they couldn’t climb even the smallest of mountains, let alone one of the biggest mountains in the world, these two girls certainly did! Taking six days to reach the summit, this group endured many difficulties including harsh weather, fatigue, hunger, and poor sleeping conditions. At times during the climb, they approached certain sections that were so rough, narrow and rocky that Erica could not fit her chair through certain passages. It was then that porters carried her through. (2) Six days later and completely exhausted, the team reached the summit, and Erica became the first female paraplegic to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
What a beautiful picture of how the Christian life was designed to be lived. We all have our limitations, in one form or another. What we do with those limitations is our choice. We can deny they exist, or accept that they do and seek out a rally team of friends to help on our life’s journey…even if it means swallowing our pride when we need to be carried.
Scripture reminds us that we each have our own unique set of strengths and gifts for the purpose of building and encouraging each other; and, that in our weakness, He is strong! The body of Christ is all about teamwork…a joint effort that finds us, in humility, serving and loving one another all the way to the finish line.
Friends, when we journey together, with our damaged spinal cords and missing legs, we can ultimately agree with a member of this Mt. Kilimanjaro team as he noted that, “Not many people really grasp what it takes to climb a mountain like that…you have to climb a mountain every day for 8-10 hours. Well, we did that. And driving away from the mountain yesterday, it was truly inspirational to see what we had accomplished.” (3)
GOING DEEPER:
1. What’s stopping you from admitting to a weakness and asking for help? Are you willing to go all the way with others who may require your help?
FURTHER READING:
1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:5; Philippians 2; 2 Corinthians 12:9
If anyone had legitimate excuses why they couldn’t climb even the smallest of mountains, let alone one of the biggest mountains in the world, these two girls certainly did! Taking six days to reach the summit, this group endured many difficulties including harsh weather, fatigue, hunger, and poor sleeping conditions. At times during the climb, they approached certain sections that were so rough, narrow and rocky that Erica could not fit her chair through certain passages. It was then that porters carried her through. (2) Six days later and completely exhausted, the team reached the summit, and Erica became the first female paraplegic to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.
What a beautiful picture of how the Christian life was designed to be lived. We all have our limitations, in one form or another. What we do with those limitations is our choice. We can deny they exist, or accept that they do and seek out a rally team of friends to help on our life’s journey…even if it means swallowing our pride when we need to be carried.
Scripture reminds us that we each have our own unique set of strengths and gifts for the purpose of building and encouraging each other; and, that in our weakness, He is strong! The body of Christ is all about teamwork…a joint effort that finds us, in humility, serving and loving one another all the way to the finish line.
Friends, when we journey together, with our damaged spinal cords and missing legs, we can ultimately agree with a member of this Mt. Kilimanjaro team as he noted that, “Not many people really grasp what it takes to climb a mountain like that…you have to climb a mountain every day for 8-10 hours. Well, we did that. And driving away from the mountain yesterday, it was truly inspirational to see what we had accomplished.” (3)
GOING DEEPER:
1. What’s stopping you from admitting to a weakness and asking for help? Are you willing to go all the way with others who may require your help?
FURTHER READING:
1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12:5; Philippians 2; 2 Corinthians 12:9
(1) http://www.hmenews.com/blogwm/?p=591; http://www.kmir6.com/Global/story.asp?S=11834538;
(2) www.disabledandproductive.com
(3) http://theroof.tumblr.com
Formerly at Oakwood Church, we share Jennie with a church in rural northeast Colorado, where she ministers with her husband/pastor and is the mother of two teenagers and a college student. She is active in her church’s musical worship ministry and works as a para support at their local public school.
