Friday, July 31, 2020
Be on the Mountain
Be on the Mountain Our friend, Rob Bell, tells a story in which God tells Moses to climb to the top of a mountain. Moses obliges, but when he finally reaches the summit, God commands him, âBe on the mountain.â I imagine Moses responded, âI heard you the first time: âGo to the top of the mountainâ! Here I am, just as you asked. Now what?â And God likely responded, âJust be on the mountainââ"in a stoic, but slightly annoyed, tone. Then Moses, puzzled by the seeming redundancy of Godâs request, mightâve furrowed his brow and scratched his noggin because he didnât understand that God didnât want him to just travel to the peak and then immediately contemplate his next move. God didnât want him preoccupied, standing up there worrying about how he was going to get down, or what bills must be paid, or whether he turned off the lights before leaving the house. God wanted Moses to be on the mountain: to enjoy the moment. Which is impossible when weâre stuck in a state of perpetual planning. Or perpetual worry. Or perpetual whatever. Iâm not particularly religious, but I appreciate this parable because it reminds me when we pause for a moment, we can appreciate the present: it takes a tremendous effort to reach the peakâ"we should enjoy it, even if only for a moment. If we want to enjoy life, we must commit to being on the mountain. That doesnât mean we shouldnât planâ"but letâs enjoy the planning process more. And it doesnât mean we shouldnât work hard, eitherâ"but we can enjoy the work when it is executed from a place of total awareness. Dont dwell on the past. Dont worry about the future. Be on the mountain. Just. Be. Subscribe to The Minimalists via email.
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