1st day of the fasting month was a public holiday in Johor, so our Lifegroup went on a trip to Gunung Lambak. It was not part of our original plan, as initially we planned to visit a farm, but the entrance fee was rather costly, so we settled for a trek up the mountain. Things did not go smoothly at 1st, as we got lost in Kluang, and arrived rather late at 11am, just before noon.
Gunung Lambak, at 510 metres above sea level is the 2nd tallest peak in Johor. We were divided different groups, and each group went up at a different pace. At the end of the day, despite the pain and aches, it was a day to remember, as most of us shared during Lifegroup.
Going up the mountain proved to be a challenge, seeing as this is my 3rd trek up a mountain / hill. It used to be an easy climb up Bukit Pelindung back in my hometown (250 metres), and I thought 1000 steps in Melbourne was already considered tough. However, nothing could prepare me for what lies ahead.
The path initially looks easy, with steps and a proper pavement, but it came to a point where one had to literally climb up uneven slopes, loose rocks, logs and ledges. Kind of precarious if one is not careful, might slip and fall - reminds you that life is not that smooth sailing.
Jing Jing shared how the climb reminded her of the importance of preparation (whether it's climbing a mountain, or for other events), both physically and spiritually, as well as whether if she is by herself in challenging situations, will she continue to trust that God is with her through it all. David mentioned of through the muscle aches on the day after the climb how at times, painful situations are required by God to build people's spiritual muscles, just like James 1 urging us to persevere and consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds.
I think most of us would be proud of Su Peng, who made it all the way to the top. Despite her multiple complaints of wanting to go back down, Christie, Ethan and I pushed her to press on. I think at one point, I myself doubted whether she could actually make it physically, what more I have never climbed such a challenging mountain myself - the fear actually exists, especially when you look at the mountain's landscape. Nevertheless, the power of encouragement helped, good to see how we actually spurred each other on as a unit and family.
Christie mentioned how despite her athletic abilities, she learnt to put aside her preference to reach the top 1st, and instead learnt to go the extra mile for the people beside her. Imagine having to go ahead and survey which is the safest path to proceed, whether the slope is slippery or rocks are falling off etc. But eventually, as she put it, we go through the bitter moment together, we savour the sweet victory of reaching the mountaintop together.
Setting goals is indeed important, as Ethan summed it up. Today when we want to climb a mountain, you need to know details about it (location, height, condition, estimated time and preparation needed etc), otherwise we will just give up easily without a clear direction. Same applies in our walk with God, what we intend to achieve and where we are headed as a church and LG. Setting short goals helped spurred Su Peng and a few of us on to various subsequent checkpoints. All in all, we reached the top in 2 hours. We might not be the fastest, but we reached the goal in one piece.
As for me? I once again experienced how God's grace was sufficient for us to make it safely up to the peak. I shared midway through the journey that when you reach the top and look back at how far you have come, you will see it as a reference point in your life - God will take you to another level as you continue to breakthrough and overcome your challenges, coz in Him we are more than a conqueror.
I believe that everybody experienced personal breakthroughs on that day to spur them on in the coming weeks ahead. I knew I did, I was on call on the next day :p
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