Temptations
Like most manmade lakes in Mexico, Lake Comedero is cradled in the midst of mountainous peaks, high ridge lines and hills with rounded tops that slope to rocky shores. While some areas are bare of vegetation, others present lush and green due to runoff from underground streams that force their way through the cracks and crevices of limestone formations. Because the water level fluctuates with weather patterns and the irrigation needs of the farms below the dam, the steep shoreline is constantly changing. Huge bolder tumble prompting slides of varied size stones. It is a terrain that is hard to navigate. But the free-range cattle that depend on the sparse vegetation found on plateaus and between rocky outcrops, must make the required trip downhill to the water’s edge to drink. They stand and look down as if tempted by the water. Finally, when they cannot stand the temptation any longer, they begin to move. Their path is straight, and their gate seems nonchalant, allowing them time to nibble greenery along the way. From time to time, they lift their heads as if checking to see how far they’ve traveled. Before you know it, they are sipping at the water’s edge.
I saw a cow lift her head from drinking, turn around and head back uphill. Her ascent was much different than her descent. She took the hill in a switchback pattern curving left and then right. It was obvious she, and the other cattle, were struggling as they made the climb back to their previous peak.
Life’s peaks always come with temptations. If the lure is strong enough, it is human nature to set a straight path towards it. Once we’ve had our fill, we find ourselves at the bottom. If we intend to reclaim or surpass our past position, the path will be difficult and hard to navigate. Recovery of any type is a process that requires a trek akin to those cows. When they were comfortable with one height, they switched back and claimed the next.
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” – Isaiah 30:21
