The Mountain that Stands Alone

She stands alone.

She may feel tattered and worn, but she is strong in her way. Why? She stood tall when no one else would take a stand. Day after day, she held her ground. She stayed when the seasons were dark. She weathered the storms in the heat and the bitter cold. She stood. She remained.

And because she showed up, day after day, month after month, year after year, she became a marker others would use to find their way too. In her stand, she stands out.

Honestly, she is quite easy to see, as I saw on a recent visit to Pilot Mountain State Park, N.C. I learned some had tagged her with the line, 'The Mountain That Stands Alone.' And because she stands alone, she is easy to recognize. History records that Indians used her to guide their way. The Pilgrims depended on her as a landmark in their journey west.

As interesting as I found this mountain to be, she reminds me of a much larger truth. Sometimes as one stands alone for her convictions, passion, or voice, she too will not only stand out but also become a guide for others in their journey.

There is a story in the Old Testament of three men in the Bible who stood their ground. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to anyone but the one true God. King Nebuchadnezzar retaliated with throwing them in a burning fiery furnace. They stood. God protected. (Daniel 3) As they stood, they stood out.

"Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God."

Friend, I challenge you today. Do what God has called you to do. Stand strong. Stand in the dark days, for there will be dark days. Remain in the storms, for there will be storms. Continue to stand. Because when you do, your stand will guide others.

Show up, day after day, month after month, year after year, and became a marker others will follow in finding their way. In your stand, you will stand out. You will be a beacon of truth and light pointing to His goodness and His truth. Stand, my friend. Stand alone if you have too. But keep standing.