I Heard It on the Radio - “Up to the Mountain”

I Heard It on the Radio - “Up to the Mountain”

AS I WRITE THIS, I feel like I’m sitting in a pressure cooker with two hundred pounds of steam. Something’s gonna blow. I am racing the clock to complete my manuscript before I jump on a plane to India.

Running my business. Being a wife, mom, and grandmother. Writing Truth Nuggets. Publishing this book. Participating in a documentary filmed halfway around the world. None of these things are optional—they are my callings. I dare not drop one of them because I know it is my purpose to see them all through.

The same goes for my girlfriend Karen. After losing her husband, Kelly, on Mount Hood in December 2006, she answered the call to write her husband’s story. She knew there was much for us to learn from her mountain-man hero and his destiny on the mountaintop. But answering the call is not always easy, especially when it forces one to relive love and romance—now lost but to memories; to replay a traumatic rescue attempt—now a nightmare; and to look into the face of the future—without him.

Patty Griffin sings one of the most beautiful, soulful songs ever recorded. She based the lyrics of “Up to the Mountain”^a on Dr. Martin Luther King’s 1968 speech entitled “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” If you, like my friend Karen, are struggling to fulfill a difficult mission or purpose you know you’re “called” to fill, you might relate to the song’s opening: “I went up to the mountain because you asked me to.”

After a lot of hard work and tears on the keyboard, Karen completed her manuscript. Kelly’s story would be told. On November 11, 2008, Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy was released. No, it wasn’t easy; yet the book’s publication has brought Karen the peace that comes from knowing she’s in the middle of God’s will.

We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy. (Colossians 1:11)

If you’re facing insurmountable odds in the fulfillment of your purpose, listen to that sweet voice. And keep going.

^a Patty Griffin, “Up to the Mountain,” © Almo Music Corporation and One Big Love Music, 2006.