While Others Climb Mountains

The last weekend of July several of our children wanted to climb Mt. Elbert, the highest mountain in Colorado.

So we went camping for a few days, staying a different spot every night.

 

Monday Sam, Carrie, Rose and Timmy climbed Mt. Missouri, and Tuesday they climbed Mt. Elbert,

Colorado's highest 14-er (which means it's 14,000 feet or higher).

And just because the rest of us weren't up to mountain climbing

didn't mean we sat and moped. 

Danny fished a lot.

Here he is wading out to get the line from where it got stuck under a stone.

To Danny's and Hannah's glee, they found a couple wild strawberries there by Clear Creek!

Mmm.
It is so sweet how they share with their mother.

And just because you can't climb mountains 

doesn't mean you can't wade streams

or watch a chipmunk

or enjoy a mountain flower.

and enjoy family

and pick wild currants

to stew into jam

and heat beans and sloppy joe on the campstove

and read your Bible under a pine near an awe-inspiring aspen grove.

Just because we can't do something that others have the time, energy, or money to do

doesn't mean we can't have our own fun!

Maybe God knew you needed to sit beside still waters

instead of climb mountains.

Maybe you needed to hear the stream rippling

instead of the wind roaring.

Maybe you needed to notice the wildflowers beside an old wooden fence instead of slaving to outdo the neighbor's flower garden.

Maybe God wanted you to do simple things instead of great things.

Maybe He wanted you to drink from a cool, splashing mountain spring instead of climbing that mountain.

So just drink!

Sometimes our heart cries with the Psalmist,

"As the deer panteth for the water brook, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God!"

Jonathan had wanted me to walk up the road with him to see this buck with this amazing rack, and we watched as he leaped through the brush and crossed the creek.

And so if you can't keep up with the Joneses,
or do great things,
or climb mountains because you're too tired,
or too old,
or too weak,
or can't even walk---

don't fret over what you cannot do.

Drink deeply from one of God's refreshing springs.