Here I am, on the precipice of a step out in faith that I feel I have been called to for at least a year. If I search my heart though, it’s roots go much longer and much deeper. Today, for the first time, I write as for an actual audience, instead of just my own thoughts and prayers that I may share with friends and family. Undoubtedly, many, if not most, Christian writers will start their writings with the following prayer. Forgive me if it is cliché, but it is too important for me to skip.

Father – I feel you have called me to follow you in writing these words. May whatever stories, thoughts, and prayers I write be yours and not my own. May I simply be voicing the story you have written on my heart that can no longer be contained by my own delayed obedience. Forgive me for waiting so long. But more importantly, if any of these words are not yours may they never see the light of day. I long only for furthering your kingdom in any way you call me. So please, may your kingdom come via these words. Your words. Let nothing else stand. – In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

So where to start? About three weeks ago, following a period of feeling close to burnt out, God met me with a vision. Now, this doesn’t happen very often to me, and it wasn’t one of those Hollywood style, blow the doors off the glowing light kind of visions. It was very simply, a picture that came in to my mind during a time of prayer. The picture was that of a plateau, though geologically speaking that isn’t terribly accurate. Moreover, a flat area after a rise of a mountain, followed by more rise. Like a ongoing staircase in a mountain, but with a mix of steep slopes and gentle slopes. In between these slopes are flat stretches of different sizes, some long some short. I’m talking about these stretches. These staircase “landings.” For the purpose of the story, however, I’m sticking with the word plateau. Can you picture it? I’m in the middle of this plateau which is a clear metaphor for where I am feeling in life – just kind of stuck. I’m not climbing, I’m not retreating, just in the middle of the open space wishing I was moving forward. Moving up.

We love to climb, don’t we? Progress seems to be hardwired into us. Some even say if we aren’t moving forward, we are moving backward. For me, when I’m not climbing, I feel a clear sense of failure. Feelings, likely from the enemy, creep in that tell me if I was truly following God, I wouldn’t be stuck on this plateau. I would be climbing, moving, advancing his kingdom. (Like everyone around me appears to be doing.) Well God met me right there on that plateau. In the middle of a season of daily battles of anger, fear, anxiety, and failure, God blessed me with an image that explained everything to me. In that moment He gave me hope. Something I struggle with during my down times. I just feel isolated and stuck, without hope.

As it turns out, they actually aren’t so bad. Plateaus are incredibly important to us, or at least I came to realize that while God was doing some heart surgery on me. They give us so much of what we need that if we don’t stop to appreciate them, we will blow right through them and attempt to climb the next slope too quickly. These plateaus are opportunities if we can handle it.

My heart was overloaded. All I could think when this picture came along was stop, look around, reflect. What was the slope you just climbed? How did it go? What did you learn and what did you wish you had known before you started that climb?

As I reflected, I looked at my feet. I realized I was stopping for the first time in a long time. Plateaus are an opportunity for rest. A necessary time to stop, regain energy, and reflect without the distraction of climbing at the same time. Let’s face it, if the 7 days of creation were a climb, then God rested on His plateau on the 7th day. I needed to embrace the plateau, embrace the rest.

Now, I reflected and rested (or at least started the process), but I’m still stuck on this plateau. I’m looking around and can’t seem to figure out where to go. But God’s timing is His right? It’s a nice sentiment, completely true, but totally frustrating. So, what’s next? There it is - plateaus equip. If you were really climbing an actual mountain and you need to check your gear, tighten your straps, and prepare for the following days of climbing, given the choice it would be much better to do so with your feet on flat ground. God knows this. He knows how and when to equip us, and He is going to do it in such a way that ensures we can succeed on the next leg of our journey.

Part of that equipping process is usually community. To some of us, this is a welcome relief and you finally can get the help you need. To others, myself especially when I’m being completely honest, it’s a frustrating waiting period where someone else is just going to slow you down when you could do so much better/faster on your own. God was telling me to just pause and accept it. We all need community whether we like it or not. Mentors to guide us, friends to do life with, mentees for us to guide. All three are critical to keep us in check and on track to pursue God’s will in our lives. The plateaus allow us to wait for people to catch up and to bring others with us on the journey.

Keep in mind, some climbs are flatter than others. This is a good thing too. The slope of the journey should be determined by Him and not by us. Overall though, these plateaus are a blessing. There is as much beauty in the plateau as there is in the climb. Yes, you read that right. There is as much beauty in the plateau as there is in the climb. They are both His when we approach our lives with open hands.

In a beautiful example of a divine echo of affirmation, just 4 days after God blessed me with this image of hope, James Wilson of Freedom Life Church of Hampton, Virginia gave a guest message at my home church. In his message he put it another way. He refers to it as a waiting room. “While I’m waiting, He is working.” Isn’t God amazing? If you’re like me, often times a few days after you have a cool moment or a revelation about something in your life, it is in the rear view mirror. A memory that pops up in the shower, but doesn’t come easily in the storm of everyday life. God wasn’t going to let this go though. He put James right in my path to make sure I heard the message.

One final thought. Maybe this doesn’t make any sense to you, or maybe it does a little bit, but the fact that I used the word plateau more times than your second grade teacher did has turned you away from the whole idea. Let me just say this, God used the word plateau with me. Maybe yours is a little different, like James’ waiting room. Figure out what your word is and don’t waste the blessing that is your plateau, your waiting room, your opportunity.

Holy Spirit – Come. Please. Right now. Let my open hands be a symbol of my heart opening to you. I give my journey to you. Release me of any expectations I have for my own life and let it be yours. I pray that you would control the pace, slope, and direction of my climb and may the destination I seek in the climb be irrelevant as long as it guides me and those around me into a closer relationship with you. May your Kingdom come on both the slopes and the plateaus. – Amen