Sunshine On The Mountain ⛰️

 As the curtains of my eyes closed and my head tilted forwards, the hurry of life faded into insignificance as I began to visit with my best Friend! In the process of talking about life in the company of my best Friend I noticed a canvas in the corner of this room of mine, I moved closer to see what was depicted on it.

A flickering candle danced its warm cheery light across the painting, as I picked up the candle and lifted it higher to examine the piece of art. From the light of the candle my words can only scratch the surface of what my eye saw!! Like a canvas with living color and living objects, a three dimensional panorama came to life before my very eyes!!! A beautiful valley with lush green fed by streams running from the rough mountain sides, where the creatures of the wild found safety and made their homes.

From the vantage point I occupied I could take in a large view and my eye was caught by two separate parties traveling along the trails of the valleys below the mountain. I could see how their paths would take them up two separate route to the top of the mountain.

I began to wonder what would compel people to leave the beautiful green and pleasant smelling valley and venture up the rough terrain to the summit??? As I peered through the morning mist I could see something peaking out from the clouds that were between me and the mountain top, it looked as if it was a large painting or sign…

I would stay and watch the climb of the two parities! But I needed a way to identify them… one of the parities passed the blacksmith’s shop so I named them the “Smiths”, the other ones I named the “Bells” because the Church bells rang out the time as they passed by!

I saw many similarities between the Smiths and the Bells… Both were younger couples. Both were happy to be with their spouse! Both laughed and talked as they walked in the beautiful valley!

My initial object for watching the Smiths and Bells was to see who could reach the summit the fastest and be the default winner in this room of mine!

The Smiths were making good progress as Mr. Smith set a fast pace, no doubt he was a trail blazer! I had to smile… here was a man taking charge and leading the way for his wife!!

The Bells seemed to be lagging behind, from my perspective, almost struggling! If they were to reach the top first and win this race I had thrust upon them something would need to change!! Mr. Bell was not taking charge and blazing ahead, he was trying to walk beside Mrs. Bell on the trail and hold her hand… that craziness was casting time in “my” race to the top!!

I looked back at the Smiths, I blinked, and blinked again!!! Were my eyes playing tricks on me??? Could it be??? Was it real??? I blinked again… Yes, on this living canvas the Smiths were now five in total!?! This painting was unfolding at a high rate of speed in comparison to real life! I watched with intense interest as Mr. Smith began to lead his family up the mountain side!!

I noticed that the clouds had cleared from the top of the mountain and light was now rolling down its sides like bouncing happy waves of feathers, giving a pleasant and warm glow to everything it shown upon!!

With a strong show of energy Mr. Smith again started his family on their journey up the side of the mountain, what a sight of pure masculinity, Mr. Smith climbing from one bolder to the next bathed in the warm glow of light coming down the sides of the mountain! (for a minute I had to pause and look at myself in the mirror, squeezing my muscles and puffing up my chest in imitation of Mr. Smith!) Mr. Smith would excitedly tell his wife and children of the wonderful sunshine and in a clear deep voice tell them how to climb, were he had placed his feet and gained his hand holds. They were making excellent time but I could not help noticing that Mrs. Smith looked pale and tired as their three children clung about her and cried from climbing up the mountain. Mr. Smith shared words to help and encouraged his family to keep climbing to the new heights he was reaching!! I was perplexed though because it seemed that his family was responding more like they had been in an ice cave than on a heart working climb up a mountain. Perhaps Mrs. Smith was not cut out to be a winning wife in the mountain climb of life?? Perhaps bad genetics plagued the children and they could never reach the potential of their father?? Now the children were crying and Mr. Smith was visibly frustrated, if only his family would trust him and follow his leadership they could reach the summit quickly! It was a sad sight, Mr. Smith in his prime tethered to his wife and children, who from where I now stood, seemed to ignore his leadership!

I looked away… What had caused this?? They were so promising, they were the only ones strong enough to make it to the summit and yet that was not enough. I began to blame the mountain, it was too harsh, why would anyone risk everything to reach the top only to loose the most precious things in life??

I could not watch any longer my eyes and thoughts drifted… Where were the Bells?? Had they gone back home?? I searched the low parts of the mountain with my eyes were I last left them walking as they talked about their joys, hopes, and how God had brought them through hard times but they were gone from sight! I was about to return to my world and leave this room of mine when I heard the most beautiful laughter!?!?!? Who was making it??? I carefully listened for the direction of sound… my eyes scanned up the mountain side and there was Mrs Bell laughing with her children! Wait!!! Children??? What had happened?? I had been so absorbed in watching the Smith family that I had forgotten all about the possibility that the Bell family could be growing too! Four children had now entered the Bell family!!

In confusion I looked and the Bells were higher on the mountain side than the Smiths were with one less child. I determined to learn and be instructed on the “change of fate”! The Bell family was not climbing in the traditional sense but yet they moved higher and higher up the mountain!?!? As I watched I saw Mr. Bell beside Mrs Bell and their children in front of them climbing over one bolder and then another obstacle Mr. Bell would give advice where the children could get the best toe holds, he watched them climb. Mr. Bell would also help the youngest with a boost or at time carry them on his shoulders! He never blazed ahead of Mrs Bell and it seemed as though they both were directing their children. It was a sight of the most tender and toughing love that I had ever seen. What was the secret ingredient??? All were happy! All were exerting a lot of energy! But the progress was not driven, it was almost spontaneous but yet there was design and a pattern being executed?!?!

But then again why were they climbing this mountain in the first place??? I had to know!!! On my own and from my position I was able to reach the top of the mountain quickly! The most beautiful and warm Sonshine was flooding from the summit! As I reached the top my gaze rested on what I had thought was a painting or sign… But I was not expecting what I saw. There was no painting, there was no sign with bright lights.

There was a man with an awful burden of the most ugly and evil thing that had been laid on His back and yet the weight of those things did not crush Him. He was lifted up for all to see and He said “come unto me and I will give you rest”! From His hands, His feet, and His side a flood of light came and rolled down the mountain side like beautiful refreshing waves, wherever the light was life was bright and everything that was beautiful thrived!!! Then my eye caught a brass plaque with an engraving, moving closer and bending my knee I read these words… “Let Nothing Between My Soul and the Savior!”

The dark curtains of my eyes once again moved and as the morning light beamed into them I began to understand…

Mr. Smith was a good man but he was standing in the way of the light from the only One who could carry the ugly weight of sin, he was trying to be his families light and that is why his wife was so pale and his children unhappy. In standing tall in his prime and blazing a trail up the mountain Mr. Smith had actually blocked the beautiful Sonsine and cast a shadow over his family…

Mr. Bell had insisted that his entire family always be exposed to the wonderful light rolling down the mountain like waves of feather, warming and reviving the entire family! Getting to the top first had never driven the Bells actions for they knew this was not a race against another but rather their race alone and to reach the top was the goal, to reach the top together, to reach the top with not one of their family lost on the mountain side of life!

As I said “thank you” to my best Friend, He blew out the candle and said “now you get to decide!”

In this room of mine with the curtains wide open, letting streams of light in I tilt my head back, look up and say… “Nothing between our souls and our Jesus, full in His wonderful face let us look! Side by side we stand, no shadow we cast upon each other but hand in hand all to Jesus we surrender!”