When the Mountain is Tall

I was excited to help with “Field Day” at the elementary school where my son, Christopher taught. Field Day gave me a chance to see and interact with almost all of the students there. It also gave me a chance to work with some of the local high school football players volunteering to lead groups of children through each activity.

Christopher and I were assigned the inflatable obstacle course. Halfway through the course was a “giant mountain” that the children had to climb. After reaching the top, they would slide down the other side.

The football players stood at the beginning of the inflatable to tell the students when they could start through the course. Christopher stood outside the middle to supervise the kids as they climbed the mountain. Sometimes I would stand opposite Christopher. Other times I stood at the end of the inflatable to keep the students from falling off the end if they got crazy sliding down.

At one point, I was waiting at the end a really long time, but no one was coming down the slide. I walked around to the side of the mountain to see what was going on. My heart was touched when I saw my son encouraging a little boy and gently helping him climb as the other children cheered.

I was very impressed with the football players. They were serious about their job and did wonderfully with the students. The young men were outside in the hot sun all day long helping group after group. I heard no complaints.

Although all of the players were amazing, there was one who really made an impression on me. He and his partner had already brought a couple of groups through. However, with this particular group of children, I found him up inside the middle of the course before we began. I asked him why he was there. He looked down at me and said, “Well these kids are really little. They’re going to need help making it over this mountain. I don’t think all of them can do it on their own.”

I will never forget one little boy who was really struggling. The high school student was so patient with him and wouldn’t let him give up. He told the little boy where to step and grab, but the little boy just couldn’t reach the top. Finally, the high school student climbed up to the top, grabbed the little boy’s hand and pulled. The little boy was finally at the top of the mountain, but once he was there, he was afraid to slide down. I cheered him on at the bottom and promised to keep him safe, but he was too scared to move. The high school student spoke to him a while, and then together they slid safely to the bottom.

My heart melted once again as this high school student encouraged and aided the younger students. Over and over, he and my son helped the little ones climb the mountain so that they could slide over the top.

That’s how it is in life. Isn’t it? Sometimes the mountain we face seems too tall. Sometimes we lack confidence and need someone to encourage us and cheer us on.  Sometimes we’re too weak and need someone to help lift us up. Sometimes we’re scared and need someone to climb with us. Then there are the times when we are the confident ones. We are the strong ones. We are the courageous ones who can help those who are struggling.

We’re in this together. We must stay attentive to the world around us and be ready to lend a hand to those who are struggling. Likewise, we can’t let ourselves be too ashamed to accept help when we’re in need ourselves. The mountains don’t seem as tall when we help each other climb.