God of the Mountain, Lord of My Cave
by Kayleon Dortch-Elliott
GOD OF THE MOUNTAIN, LORD OF MY CAVE
You’ve found me here.
On the mountain,
in a cave.
Ashamed.
The mountain I once spoke to
has become the mountain I hide in.
Running from the sword,
from the weight of my calling,
I ran from you.
Yet you are here.
Outside,
the wind roars,
the earth trembles,
and the fire sputters.
But you are not in them.
You are in the stillness,
the smallness,
the whisper
that doesn’t demand
but invites.
A whisper that walked the Garden in the cool of the day,
now walking in the cool of my cave.
Mercy, like fingers, tracing the weathered ridges
of my faithful, worn heart.
You are the whisper. The breath.
The same breath that brought life to clay,
now rattling the dry bones of my faith.
Quieter than I imagined.
Not as loud as what I assume moves mountains
but loud enough to move me.
Where are you, Adam?
Why are you here, Elijah?
You spoke to the mountain,
and I moved.
The mountain
and the cave,
became one place,
because you are Lord of both.
You are the God who isn’t afraid to step into my hiding.
Into what I thought would be my tomb,
you make an altar.
The mountain, your mouthpiece.
And in a whisper,
the rock once struck in exhaustion,
flows again with living water,
enough for the journey ahead.
Enough to keep walking.
No longer ashamed
of the days I hide in mountains
I should be speaking to.
Because even the mountain I hide in
speaks your name.
A rock crying out in my place.
The name of God.
The God of my mountain,
and the Lord of my cave.
KAYLEON DORTCH-ELLIOTT
Author of To Everything and It is Well, Kayleon Dortch-Elliott lives in North Carolina with her husband and children. With degrees in psychology and theology, her mission is to meet Christians in the margins of faith and everyday life, humanizing the journey. She is the proud CEO of Write on the Margin Publishing and Content Partner for YouVersion. If you like inspiring yet thought-provoking messages on Christian faith and spirituality, you'll love her work. To learn more and stay connected, visit www.kayleondortchelliott.com, subscribe to the Notes in the Margin Substack, and follow Kayleon on Instagram (@kaydelliott).