[] Salvation Mountain []

Last part of the great summer LA trip. The best thing I have experienced in a long time was by far our trip to Salvation Mountain. A few years ago I saw "Into the Wild" and there was this one scene with this amazing little mountain painted with scripture and other saying of love. Anna and I had tried to plan this trip out to Niland, California last summer, but I am glad we waited. It was about a four hour drive from LA, going from nice 70 degree weather to over the 100 degree "bake your face off" mark. I still can't believe people actually take up residence out there.

Anyway, the amazing little mountain was thought up by the cutest 80-ish year old, Leonard Knight. He has lived and worked out there for decades, dedicating his life's work to spreading lavish love through Bible verses and personal stories. I prayed that he would be out there, willing to engage. We heard that he only comes out at night because of the heat, but that is not true. We arrived an hour before sunset and climbed the mountain and once on top I spied him below in a different, new section of his creation. I was so excited to get to talk to him, I was a bit nervous as I didn't know if he wanted to talk or if he wanted to be just left alone.

We walked up behind him and he slowly turned around with a big, perfectly white, symmetrical smile on his face.  A greeting of "Welcome, do you have time for me to show you around?"  Of course we did, I was so happy to see how personable he was and to think, we had him all to ourselves.  He explained as he walked through the different sections and told us he's been out here for several years, all by himself and actually pretty "spoiled" by the people that come to visit.

 Insisting that he is taken care of, he refuses money, food, and anything else, but notes that if its on someones heart to donate any of these he doesn't turn it down.  Standing so close to him, listening to every word, I got a great close up of all his deep wrinkles around his kind little eyes and the smile lines surrounding his mouth (which, by the way, he had amazingly white teeth contrasting against his sun tanned skin). 

I loved how he excitedly expressed his accomplishments, yet there was a great humbleness about him.  You can tell when someone is tooting their own horn, be he just was talking about his life.  As a young man he persecuted Christians and compared his life story to that of Paul from the Bible.  Leonard explained how his world was crumbling into pieces around him and he just dropped to his knees, sobbing "God, if you are real, if you really love me, then help me...". And God did.  He changed his heart and literally the course of his life. I love stories like this, against all odds and even human nature, we can change.  I think people have become successful at this, even without the help of God. Many of my friends are on personal pursuits of counseling, drug rehab, eating better, exercising more, making amends with family, and overall stepping back from life and thinking "somethings gotta change". However, making life change stick and most importantly, transforming the heart takes a spiritual force, something we are just not capable of.

May I make an analogy? What if knowing God was like wearing your seat belt.  We all drive, we all know the dangers of getting into a car and taking off.  Our cars drive the same with or without us choosing to wear our seat belt.  The seat belt isn't some magical force that guarantees us crash-free transportation, it does however, give us a little peace while driving.  That, in a borderline terrible analogy, is one of the million ways God works in our life.  He is there, but we have to choose.  He gives peace, but we have to engage.  Why does God let bad things happen? Well, since we are not robots (what? shocking!) we're not  guaranteed some crash proof plan throughout our lives.  We all have free will to make decisions, to lead or to follow...The peace that is promised through God is well, amazing. It takes a strong person, weak in their knees, longing for a difference, heart sick, to lay it down for God to pick up.  He promises us "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light " Matthew 11:28

Where ever you find yourself today, my hope is that this gives you peace...thanks for reading