Traveling from a school located at sea level, I struggled a lot once I arrived at the Christian Science camp for children where I would be working for the summer, which had an elevation level of 9,000 feet. It seemed I had a lot of trouble acclimating, and it became difficult to run and even sometimes walk uphill between camps. I was also struggling with being very out of shape, due to some physical challenges that did not allow me to exercise.
Nevertheless, when it was announced that we would be doing a three-day trip through the Rockies and peaking a 14,000 foot mountain as part of our mountaineering training, I was absolutely elated and didn’t even think about the elevation. As our trip arrived, it became quite evident, however, that I needed to address this physical challenge metaphysically.
Before we left, the counselors going on the trip had an inspirational meeting in which we discussed the idea that God isn’t any less at higher altitudes where the air seems to be thinner. I really tried to hold to this idea during the first part of the hike, as well as just the idea that I had the divine right to enjoy this wilderness experience and grow from it. On the way up, I also prayed with this line from a hymn: “I climb, with joy, the heights of Mind” (Violet Hay, Christian Science Hymnal, No. 136), which I had previously thought about when I ran a half marathon three years earlier. I really tried to hold to this and other ideas that were shared on the climb up to our campsite.
