Mountain Climbing

At our family meal last night, our family got into a discussion about how we treat others. The night before, a rude comment had been made about a friend of the family in regards to how she looked. As we were talking about things you should and shouldn’t say about others, we also got into the aspect of how you act around others as well.

One of my brothers mentioned how some people are just strange; you just really don’t want to be around them. I have to admit, I agreed with this statement, but then I began thinking about something else. I began to think of the person my whole school had “classified” as the “weirdo”. And while I had not ever directly been mean to this person, I admit that I had all too often purposely avoided them, or ignored them when they tried to start conversations. One thing I noticed was the look in this person’s eyes every time something like this happened. No matter how “weird” a person might be, people notice when you treat them differently, and it hurts them just as bad.

My dad piped up with an allegory about Mt. Everest. Did you know that one in ten people who attempt to climb this mountain die? You know, some people might be different because of the situations they are in and facing; even the strongest men in the world can barely hobble along when they get near to the top of the mountain. They walk in such a way, that normally, people would point and laugh. But it’s the most they can do to get to the top of their mountain. In the same way, there are people everywhere, where nobody can see the struggles their facing. How do you know that it’s all they can do to keep on going? Maybe they are just waiting, praying for a hand to reach out and help them.

And it’s true- one thing to help somebody, or to let them know you notice them, can make an impact that you can never know the outcomes of. For instance, there was a new girl at my school. She would not have been classified in the “popular” crowd; she didn’t obtain the “perfect” body or skin, and she was extremely shy. I watched her for most of the day, and from what I saw, nobody went up to say hi, or to invite her to join them. So, I went over to her and introduced myself, helped her find her classes and invited her to sit by me at lunch. I really didn’t think much more of it, because it had only taken like 5 minutes. At the end of the day, however, a teacher came up and pulled me aside. “Thank-you so much for talking to the new girl today! I asked her how her day was today, and her whole face just lit up and said, I made a friend today! That was the only thing she said about her entire day- thank-you for taking the time for her.” I was shocked. Small actions can make huge differences.

So, I want to challenge you today. What are the people that you might think are not worth a second glance? Who is it that you  just can’t seem to stand? Take a moment to see them how God sees them- as precious in His sight. Take a moment to be the person who changes their day and helps them face their mountain.

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. Galatians 2:6
Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment. John 7:24
When Jesus heard them, he said, “It is not the healthy people who need a doctor, but the sick. Matthew 9:12