Everest

First, let me clarify that I did not climb Mt. Everest. I know you all were thinking that I did! It is not even on my bucket list! I like living too much. My family did go on vacation this past week to Elephant Rocks in Missouri though. Hiking a few 1-3 mile trails with a 3 year old can make you feel like you’re ascending the great Everest! We spent a week or two preparing for our camping adventure!

Do we have the tent ready?
Check!
Do we have the sleeping bags and cots?
Check!
Do we have food and drinks?
Check!

There is not much preparation needed for a week long “glamping” trip, as my wife likes to call it! There is however great preparation needed for a trek like Mt. Everest. Here is a brief breakdown of what it would take, just in case it happens to be on your bucket list!

1. Start a hiking regime 1-3 years in advance. Every day you need to hike 45-60 min with a pack starting at 5lbs and growing to 65lbs.
2. The cost is a big factor! Around two thousand dollars for airfare, four to ten thousand for a climbing permit, and up to 60 thousand dollars for guided tour, training course and gear!
3. The items you will need to purchase would be plastic, frost proof clubbing boots; thermal base layers; down pants and parka; a half dozen pair of socks; face mask; wool hats; synthetic gloves; glacier glasses; sleeping bag rates to -300 degrees Fahrenheit; backpack; harness, ice ax; headlamp; carabiners; rappelling gear; ski poles; oxygen canisters; and plenty of food. Enough for roughly six thousand calories a day!

Still interested?!

At this point you would hike 10 days just to get to base camp! From there you will hike to Camp 1, Camp 2, Camp 3 and Camp 4 otherwise known as the death zone. Start to finish is 2 months!

Why say all this? Why the effort to look it all up? There are a few things I feel I have learned in life. One is that the greater the adventure, the greater the preparation time. In my own life, I have come to realize that I want an Everest experience, but am preparing for Elephant Rocks Missouri! I want mountain top intimacy with God but am unwilling to pay the price to gain that.
What does your preparation time say about you? Are you setting yourself up for success? For greatness? Did you realize that we have the same amount of hours in a day as Mother Theresa, Benjamin Franklin and Billy Graham. Why did they seem to get so much accomplished? They were willing to do what so many of us are unwilling to do.

Jeremiah 12:5 says, “If you have run with mere men, and have grown weary, then how can you run with the horses?”

God has called us to a higher standard of living. Steward your thoughts well. Preach better sermons. Live a holier life. Give more generously. Be more intentional in evangelism.

Living by the Spirit does not give us an excuse to live complacently. Do your part! Do you really want to miss out on anything that God might have for you?

​Run With Horses!
Climb Your Everest!