A mountain to the Heavens.

I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God. Jonah 2:6

He slowly opened his eyes and was staring into a deep darkness. He blinked in a panic for a moment but had no idea where he was or how he got there. He closed his eyes tight forcing himself to think through the pain, and all at once he remembered the fall.

He had been a keen climber his entire life and had gone on a dream vacation climbing trip to the Himalayan mountain range in Nepal. He was on Yala peak Langtang. He recalled how he had set off early from base camp and scaled up the mountain side. After a few hours he rested at a plateau and enjoyed some spectacular views before moving on. As he headed for the summit using all his skill and experience, suddenly a gaping hole opened up before him and he fell into an abyss losing conciseness. As he lay still in the darkness and awoke, a wave of fear slowly engulfed him together with a dreadful feeling of complete helplessness. His dream climb had turned into his worst nightmare!

He tried to move but the pain was excruciating. His right arm was trapped under his body weight and his left leg and several ribs were broken and he could taste the blood in his mouth. His head was pounding and he had a high pitch screaming in his ears. He closed his eyes again and tried to focus and be as still as possible. In his mind he knew it was serious as he started to calculate all possibilities. He reached into his pocket using his left arm and pulled out a small torch. He switched it on and it barely pierced the darkness. All around him was the inside of an unforgiving mountain with despairing walls dripping moisture that knew no daylight. He tried to call out but his voice seemed like a whisper in a large echo chamber. As he lay, the fear and pain became overwhelming and he passed out again.

As he lay unconscious, his dreams became like nightmares morphing into a kaleidoscope of falls and with a sudden sharp intake of breath, he opened his eyes again and the light of his torch came back into focus. He kept it on for comfort. His mouth started to fill up with blood and he managed to turn his head and expel it before he choked. He started to feel very cold, much colder that before. His mind automatically switched into panic mode and he quickly realised that his time was short. As he lay still, suddenly an unexpected stillness washed over him overwhelming his disposition. He started to pray to God and his state of mind allowed him to pray deeply in the spirit. He remembered everything he had been taught and recited the Lord's Prayer. Our father who art in heaven..... All at once his conscience was in a spiritual domain and he quickly realised for the first time in his life he was able to exercise his faith properly. Up until now he had heavily focused on his life and the secular world, but now at deaths door he realised the importance of his relationship with his creator.

He looked around and started thinking about hell. He thought about his dreadful situation and couldn't help but make comparisons. Is this what hell feels like he thought to himself? a feeling of utter helplessness, accompanied by despair and pain, a torture of all the senses, unable to move a muscle or even have a drink of water. His mind started to race and he remembered the scriptures and how Jesus himself had warned of the outer darkness of hell. Then all at once he realised he needed the gospel and asked God for forgiveness through our Lord Jesus Christ realising he was a sinner at the door of his Salvation. He began to see the light in his mind and truths started to manifest in his heart. Then suddenly he paused and then began to see clearly the beauty of his situation. As he lay there battered and bruised and blinded by darkness, he realised there was still hope because he was still alive and could be rescued at any minute. That if he had died without the forgiveness and blessing of the Lord, his soul would be lost forever and he would spend an eternity in hell, a place of no hope.

It was now clear in his mind, God was truly rescuing him and in a way ordained this terrible accident to get his full attention and bring him to Salvation. He allowed a smile to Pass his over his lips and suddenly he realised that today he was climbing a mountain to the Heavens. His body may be battered and close to death, but the Lord had redeemed his soul from the pit. He cried and praised God from his heart and his eyes were filled with tears of joy.

He closed his eyes for the last time and the pain from his injuries and the cold darkness overwhelmed him and he slipped into unconsciousness and finally death. He would never see the world again but would awake to be in the presence of the Lord.

In Jesus name Amen.