I shared this quote on Facebook earlier this week, because it really hit me where I lived:

One of the great snares of the Christian worker is to make a fetish of his rare moments. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you say – “Now I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, God will take care you are not. Those times are the gift of God entirely. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best, you become an intolerable drag on God; you will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously inspired. If you make a god of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life and never come back until you do the duty that lies nearest, and have learned not to make a fetish of your rare moments.  — Oswald Chambers

I’ve made so many changes in such a short time, it’s easy to get carried away feeling pretty good about the way things are going. I’m very grateful for where God has taken me in the last couple of months, and even the last couple of years, with everything from a drastic but wonderful career change to turning my pantry upside-down.   It’s been a time of great blessing, but the quote resonated with me because I already know it’s true.  In my home church, we talked about these times as “mountain-top” experiences.  And they are wonderful, but you can’t just hang out up there for the rest of your life.  To grow in faith, you need descents and climbs to strengthen your spiritual muscles.  Fortunately, I’ve never lacked for slopes in my life, some steep and some just slippery enough to remind you of your humanity.

Take today.  I believe everyone has had that kind of morning, when you wake up more rested than usual, you’re feeling pretty positive about getting some good work done today, and you manage to put together an outfit that achieves professionalism, comfort, and Friday style.  You’re wearing a favorite necklace and pretty silver shoes, and to top it off, your pants are getting baggy.  Add your long-cherished charm bracelet for a last splash of style, and it’s out the door and on with the day. It’s Friday!  It’s Payday!  You start knocking out your to-do list, catch a potential problem before it has time to cause trouble, and chug down the water you now drink exclusively.  Which, naturally, leads to an eventual trip to the ladies’ room.

After you wash your hands, mind still humming along thinking about that project you’ll finally be able to tackle today, you check your hair and quickly reach back to make sure the tag of your pants is tucked in, when it happens.  Now it’s very possible that this is the point where the story for “you” rolls right on back to your office and on with the day, but  the story for me was that the one slightly crooked link on my bracelet managed to firmly hook itself into the back waistband of my undergarment, and I stood in front of the mirror, one hand trapped behind my back, panic on my face and the persistent jingling of my bracelet as I frantically tried to free myself.  Too far behind me to see what was going on, too awkward an angle to find the latch with my other hand and at least release the bracelet, and unthinkable to walk back out the door and into any public area of our workplace to find assistance.  After what felt like at least an hour, jingling all the way, I finally managed a last desperate yank and gained my freedom.  And because I’m me, panic dissolved into an uncontrollable fit of the giggles.  Thanks to the mirror, I had literally faced my own human frailty, a swift and powerful reminder that no matter how pulled together I think I am, I am profoundly imperfect.

Also because I’m me, I couldn’t keep the funny to myself and went to tell a friend (or two).  We all had a good laugh, especially because, as I was demonstrating my earlier panic, I managed to get the bracelet caught AGAIN.  This time on my sweater, and my friend managed to stop laughing long enough to free me.  I went back upstairs to my office, took off the bracelet, and got on with my day.  I really love that bracelet.  I’ve been collecting the charms for more than 30 years, and it’s a lovely memento of many special points of my life.  Today it gained a new, invisible charm, because every time I see it, I’ll be reminded not to be prideful in my confidence!  So if you have mountainside moments, silly or severe, take heart.  There’s another mountaintop down the range.  And another, and another.  You’ll get there.  But in the meantime, in the words of Roseanne Roseannadanna, “It’s always something!”