Carrot Mountain

 

“What did you children think of Parrot Mountain?”  I asked our two youngest children.  We had just meandered our way through a semi-tropical paradise complete with caged Toucans and Lorikeets near Sevierville.

"I LOVED it,” Elise said.  “The birds were awesome.”

"It was OK,” Victoria said.  She is always more measured in her willingness to give complements or to admit enjoyment (or distress) over some event in her life.

“I think I would like to start a place called Carrot Mountain,” I said.

“Can I come?”  Elise asked.

“Sure, once I get done getting it started,” I said.

“It doesn’t sound very exciting,” Victoria said.  “I think seeing parrots is more interesting than seeing carrots.”

“Oh, but you haven’t seen all of the carrots I will have.  I’ll even have special carrots carved to look like famous people.  I'm sure the one of Donald Trump will look just like him.  We'll probably even have carrots that look like the twelve apostles.”

“We don’t know what the disciples looked like so how would you know that the carrot looked like a one?”  Victoria asked.

“You would know by the label under the carrot,” I said. 

I still haven’t gotten around to starting Carrot Mountain.  It may be a great project, but I don’t quite have the bandwidth necessary to get this sort of project off the ground.

I do find the contrast between my daughters to be fascinating.  One is easily excited and easily distressed.  The other is a little less emotional – probably feeling things just as much, but not as quick to express her excitement and enjoyment.

Life is hard.  many of us (myself included) struggle to find joy in everyday things.  We get through the toil of today’s efforts like a Sherpa lugging a load from base camp to camp 2, striving on with the knowledge that tomorrow will only bring another slope and another burden.

“Neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10) 

It is amazing what strength comes to us as we experience joy.  Allowing ourselves the freedom to smile and realize that although there are dark clouds behind the silver linings, those clouds are under control of our Heavenly Father.

I pray that we might find that joy – a joy that provides strength in the midst of work struggles and political turmoil.  A joy that might even carry you through a trip to Carrot Mountain.