Perspective
Madge Trail, Castle Rock
WHERE: Madge Trail on the Quarry Mesa at the south end of Castle Rock
WHEN: Anytime that is not windy
BLESSED SPOT: The split log bench on the east side of the Madge Trail
Find this bench atop the Madge Trail
“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body”
- C.S. Lewis.
Perspective
Not far from our home at the south end of Castle Rock Colorado is a wonderful open space trail called the Madge Trail that follows the rim of the Quarry Mesa for a mile and half or so, high above our neighborhood and the town. About halfway around the trail is a humble bench with a simple split log construction from which spectacular views of the entire front range mountains and town of Castle Rock can be taken in.
The iconic castle “Rock” is visible across the way, shown in the red circle below, with the famous lighted star perched on top. Normally only lit during the Christmas holidays, the town has re-lit the star as a symbol of strength and courage during the coronavirus pandemic.
Even though it is a popular trail, the top of the mesa is so large and expansive I feel a sense of solitude, peace, and perspective from this perch above the day-to-day world down below.
“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body”
Down in that daily grind world, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed with how completely disruptive the Coronavirus pandemic has been to our lives. It’s as if we are living in a sci-fi movie about some sinister contagion that takes over the world. But it’s not fiction. It’s real.
But when I pause to take a few minutes on this bench and see not only the homes and city below, but also the expansive front range of the Rocky Mountains, an even larger picture comes into view in my mind and spirit. One that puts everything going on into its proper place, into an eternal perspective.
The Bible instructs us to think about the bigger picture and not just this mortal life, but also about true life to come when we finally leave this planet and these bodies. Writing to believers in Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul said to “Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.” (Colossians 3:2-4)
As a Christ-follower, I have reflected on this for many years, developing an understanding of this present life from a heavenly perspective. Learning what the Bible teaches about heaven combined with thousands of corroborating near death experiences people have had and recorded for decades, reveals a place of utter perfection, with new bodies that cannot be injured or die, all saturated with the essence of who God is – blindingly luminescent love. To get a glimpse of this reality for yourself, you can read about dozens and dozens of detailed heavenly near death experiences in the book Imagine Heaven, by John Burke. These amazing stories all describe the same place and person of Jesus whom they met, talked with, embraced experiencing love in its purest form, flowing directly from Him.
Viewing this life from that powerful heavenly perspective gives me not just hope but an eager expectation of what real life will be where everything will be as it should be and reveals as merely temporal all the pain and suffering of this life. Jesus also said He would live in us now and be with us at all times if we would merely put our faith in Him and believe.
No matter how bad life gets here, I know that by comparison to the life to come that “what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.” (Romans 8:18)
If you find yourself trying out this trail high above Castle Rock, find that bench on the far side. As you soak in the solitude and peacefulness of the perspective of those expansive views remember that there is an even greater perspective that can give each one of us great hope and expectation that we can transcend our present struggles to live eternally with perfect love, God Himself.
For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.
So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. (I Corinthians 5:1-10, NLT)
This spot has been prayed for:
That you would raise your eyes and look up, above the daily stress and strain of life with the Coronavirus.
That you would do one thing to make you and your family a little safer during this crisis.
That you would find one person that really needs your encouragement and help them gain new perspective on life here from the vantage point of our eternal life to come in heaven.
That you would find a moment of peace and serenity sitting on this bench soaking in the wonderful views in all directions.
Things you can do:
While looking over the city of Castle Rock, pick out one or two homes down below and pray for those families to be safe, and able to help one other person in need.
Pray for the city of Castle Rock to make wise decisions about staying safe in the midst of the pandemic.
While looking at the star on the “Rock” in the city, pray for first responders and health care workers safety and wisdom.
While looking at Mount Evans, ask the Lord to give you His perspective, that is, a heavenly eternal perspective to properly view your life and challenges in that context.
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, meditate on His promises of a new immortal body, life in a perfect paradise in intimate relationship with Him, your inventor, creator.
Listen to Lauren Daigle’s “Look Up Child” song.
Remember God is bigger than C-19 and this too will pass!
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