While my husband and I are currently residing in California, I am Southern born and Southern bred. (Cue Randy and the boys.) The south has my home and my heart—not to mention my kids and kinfolk (See? I told you I’m from the south!). Of course, it also has mosquitoes and humidity, two nemeses that I’m not missing one bit. But that’s neither here nor there.

There are two things in particular that make this foray into California life particularly worthwhile for me: my friends and my mountains.

Okay, so the mountains aren’t mine, per say, but the breathtaking beauty of the Sierra Nevada connects with my heart in a way that I can hardly describe. Pictures can’t do it justice, but just so you can have a little taste…

My husband and I are devoted day-hikers (not backpackers, as I much prefer a bed to a tent!), and take every opportunity to explore new trails, traverse new mountains, cross new streams, and simply to enjoy creation. For the better part of the summer we spent at least one day every weekend on a new and exciting adventure, as we could never exhaust the list of trails we long to trek! Each one was uniquely wonderful and thrilling.

Then came the wildfires, which brought our weekend adventures grinding to a halt. Suddenly the Sierra was covered with smoke, the national forests were closed, and our Yosemite National Park reservations canceled. It has now been over two months since our last venture into the Sierra, and we are longing like crazy to don our packs, grab our trekking poles, and brave the higher altitudes once again.

While our little town has not been endangered by the fires, we never lose sight of the smoke. While we have some clear days, we have also had days that burned our eyes, produced headaches, and kept us hunkered inside like there’s a worldwide pandemic going on. (Oh, wait a minute. There is.) But even on the clearest of days in our town, the surrounding mountains have remained shrouded in smoke—sometimes just a haze, and other times obscured completely. On the worst of days even the sun was darkened by the apparition of smoke!

There are times when my internal vision experiences the same type of interference. The mountains—those truths that I can cling to no matter what—become overshadowed by the smoke of my circumstances and emotions.

Today was one such “smoky” day. A close family member received a difficult medical diagnosis. I had a headache that my usual Tylenol/caffeine medley wouldn’t touch. I added baking soda instead of cornstarch to dinner. I misplaced my car keys, finding them only after a frantic hunt laced with tears and frustration. Bob the Blob (see my last post) made annoying appearances throughout my day—sometimes peeking around the corner and other times sitting squarely on my chest. The mountains seemed disdainfully absent from my field of vision.

I have an app on my phone that we often use on our adventures. It’s called Peakfinder, and it enables us to identify the mountains in 360°. It’s location-based, so smoke is no deterrent. The following photos were taken from my driveway:

The mountains are still there, in all their majestic glory, regardless of what my eyes can see. Likewise, truth is still truth despite what I feel. In those times when my eyes don’t agree with my heart, I find it helpful, even necessary, to remind myself of the mountains that I’ve come to believe in.

⋀ God is good.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” (New Living Translation, Psalm 136:1)

⋀ God is in control.

“Then Job replied to the Lord: ‘I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you.” (NLT, Job 42:1-2)

⋀ I am loved.

“Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” (NLT, Ephesians 5:2)

Is it simply me? Or is your vision at times muddied by the smoke of your circumstances and emotions? What “mountains” can you place your confidence in during those times? Add to my list with your comments below!