By Robert Wadleigh
In thinking about our meeting this past weekend, I can’t stop thinking about a trip my wife and I took a couple years ago. We were staying near Lake Nantahala in Western North Carolina and we made a day trip to Wayah Bald Tower.
Wayah Bald Tower is nothing more than an old stone watchtower and a stop on the Appalachian Trail, but my memory of that visit clearly describes the things I heard and felt last weekend.
The time I spend in the mountains always give me an opportunity to pause and reflect. Wayah Bald offers 360 degree views of the Appalachian Mountains. Looking in one direction reminds me where I’ve come. Turning around lets me see what lies ahead. I am always left with the feeling there is so much more to life than what I can see from my perspective.
While brother Nobles spoke about the things that draw us away and why they hold power over us, I was reminded of things I’ve gone through. Some of those things, I handled exactly right. Others, not so much.
I learned from both and with the tools brother Nobles gave us, I am now better able to move forward. As he is fond of saying, “We can’t defeat an enemy unless we can identify it”.
Sometimes, in the mountains, the clouds hang low. You can touch them. Even if it’s not raining everything is damp. When we arrived at Wayah Bald that day the sun was out and the view was clear. Within a half hour, clouds settled on the mountain. Before we could get in our car it was raining.
This meeting was like that.
From the beginning, the clouds were hanging low, the spirit was there, and the saints were ready to worship. If you were there, you felt it and you know things changed for us in this meeting.
Standing on Wayah Bald, I could see many things. In the near view, I could see my next step down the trail. In the distance, I could see my final objective.
This meeting showed me both.
This meeting helped me see the need to work on things like self-esteem and integrity and reminded me of my ultimate goal which, as brother Robert told us, is to be found “fair to look upon” by God.
This meeting has already been called a landmark and I know when I look back in a few years, it will be among the highest peaks I see.
Thank you for that beautiful analogy, Bro Bobby! It is hard to see the path forward sometimes but getting my perspective realigned an my spirit recharged and encouraged makes the goal of overcoming truly attainable!
The views are beautiful, and as much as I love the mountains, the spirit we felt during this last meeting was even more joyful! Thank you for sharing the photos and words of wisdom to inspire us all!
I also enjoyed your tying together being on top of the mountains and our walk with the Lord. This post made me think about how far I have come and those things ahead. Everything I heard and felt in this meeting, encourages me that this way is attainable. This way is not hard but simple as long as I dont listen to my left side!!
That was so beautiful. I felt like you took me to that mountain and being in that meeting, you could just feel his majesty. I’m so thankful to be here and to be made where I will be fair to look upon.