Climbing Mountains

One day while in school a child inquired what is a mountain? His teacher described it to him as a mass of earth and rock which extends into the sky. She showed the young student a picture to satisfy his curiosity.

That night, like all children do, he ran home to tell his mother and father he had learned about the mountains. He had even seen a picture of one.

Being very wise parents, they told their child about a second type of mountain that sometimes you couldn’t visually see but that you had to climb during life.

Too young to understand, the child eagerly inquired if someday he would be able to climb such mountains as his parents described.

The father answered his son that he would, most likely, be given the opportunity. His hope, however, was that the boy would possess the necessary fundamentals to climb his many mountains of life.

What fundamentals are needed to climb the mountains of life?

The first one is the desire not to give in or up. You can’t purchase this as the other type of mountain climbers can buy rope and picks, etc… Desire not to give in or up has to be instilled and come from within a person. Whose responsibility is it to do the instilling? Maybe, this is a worthwhile question about which we all should ponder.

The top of a mountain is generally not reached by climbing straight up. In most instances, you reach the top by making circles, each higher than the last, around a mountain. However, this often makes you unable to see the peak of your destination.

Might it not be said that the second fundamental for climbing the mountains of life is the capacity to believe there is a peak, even if you cannot see it. As an offshoot of this, you must have faith that you will, if you keep going, reach the peak; and once you do, you will receive the gratification of knowing difficulties withstood, you climbed to the top of a mountain of life.

What I personally label the third fundamental in climbing the mountains of life is, probably, the most difficult one for anyone to achieve. It is the ability to climb alone. God leads you, and others might be right behind you; but you must physically climb alone. No one, not even those who love you deeply and dearly, can, in your place, climb “your” mountain. “Your” face must break the wind. “Your” hands must reach for the rocks above; and, most important of all, the desire of “your” heart and soul must enable you to climb upward.

Thus, when life sends you a mountain to climb, don’t back your bag with purchased tools. Pack your heart and soul with Faith, Hope, Love and the compass of your true North – God!!!