Mt. Fuji, dancing with the cloudsMt. Fuji. Without doubt, this mountain is one of Japan’s most magnificent and beloved national symbols—and I’ve been on its patio all week long! How grateful I am for this personal writing retreat only a stone’s throw away from this grandeur. Looking out the window, I feel the mountain’s strength because of its close proximity.
Of course, that’s assuming you can see it. Actually, Mt. Fuji has been dancing with the clouds all week except for Monday, when I arrived in Fujiyoshida by a quaint, two-car train and had my ticket punched by a real person instead of an automated ticket wicket—the way it was everywhere when we first lived in Japan thirty years ago. Mostly the clouds have won, thanks to a typhoon that finally arrived late last night.
On my second morning, unable to see anything of the rocky mountain, I contemplated the lessons I could learn from the thick shroud that blocked even a glimpse of it. Here they are: 1) Mt. Fuji is there, even though I don’t see it; 2) It’s close, even when there’s no evidence that it exists; 3) The fog and clouds don’t change the mountain at all; and,4) I will see the mountain again.
This morning, with the typhoon passed, Mt. Fuji began peeking out from here and there under the cloud bank as if gauging whether it was safe to display itself once again. By the afternoon, the sky was a hazy blue, providing a gorgeous picture frame for the distinctively-shaped mountain. Tonight, as I walked at sunset, there was a rosy coloring setting the top of the mountain off from the darkening sky. Tomorrow promises to be an even more beautiful day.
While I could easily spend this final evening reveling in the beauty of the mountain and the hint of fall in the air, especially after a very productive week of writing, I find my thoughts surprisingly turning elsewhere: to my friend whose husband beats her, to another whose home life is threatening, and to a third acquaintance whose husband was just convicted of a crime his wife and family are sure he never committed. It has not been a good week for any of them. There is no rosy hue on the top of a picturesque mountain in their homes this evening. In fact, they are about as low down in the valley as it gets. What can I say to encourage these three women? I’m at a loss for words.
Suddenly I remember the lessons from Mt. Fuji. Eagerly, I call out to my sisters from my heart. Remember! God is present, even though you don’t see him now. God is close to you, even when you find no evidence at all that he exists. The dark valley in which you’ve been thrust unwillingly doesn’t change God in the least. Finally, you will see God again. I promise you. Better yet, the Bible promises you. Hold fast to these truths, beloved, even in the midst of your storms, and take comfort from his words to you, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
