See You At The Summit

Moving on from there Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, went up on the mountain, and sat down there.  Great crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others. They placed them at his feet, and he cured them. Matthew 15:29-30

He is the first and only blind man to reach the peak of the Everest.

Yes, you read that right. A blind man standing at the top of Mt. Everest. His name is Erik Weihenmayer.

How did he do it? Simple. Welcome another Eric. Eric Alexander.

Eric guided Erik to reach the summit. Erik and Eric are buddies who have experience in mountain climbing. Erik dreamed and wanted to climb the Everest. He invited Eric and others to be with him to which Eric said yes. 

In an interview, Eric was asked what his focus was or what made him go on to reach the peak. "It's the relationships." Eric replied. For three to six weeks of ascending, reaching the top was all about relationships. It was not even about the goal of stepping at the topmost. It was about being there together, guiding the blind man to walk this way or climb this way. Each step was counted. Each stride was cherished. I guess, if Eric did not have this tight relationship with the blind man, Erik, the journey will be terribly hard added to the difficulty of the trail. And it's this relationship which enabled them to reach the summit.

It's the same with the people who brought the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute, and many others to Jesus. Jesus, who was sitting on a mountain. Going up the mountain must be hard. Yet, it must be harder when you bring someone who is not physically able to do so. How can a blind climb? How can the lame step further? Will the deformed hurdle the whole mile? Can the mute communicate if he loses the track? Can the able withstand the complexity of the travel? They can - only with strong relationship with one another.

Are you in a similar situation? You are guiding someone who might be lame in some way. You are with somebody who can't see the truth. You live with a person who has deformed perceptions. You work with a friend who can't speak for himself. Or you yourself is the differently abled. Focus on your relationships. Accept each other's limitations. Support each other. Lift one another. Carry each other's burden. Admonish each other from time to time. Build one another's confidence. Love one another as you love yourself. 

You and that person will reach the God of the mountain. You and your friend will find healing at his feet. As you start or continue your journey, you can say to one another, "See you at the summit."