Chocolate Moose Original Art

One afternoon our family settled into a nice spot in the shadow of the Grand Tetons and waited for moose. We sat for two hours before admitting defeat and heading back to the hotel, disappointed. The next day we wandered into the gallery of a photographer who told us about a side road to check out if we wanted to see moose. We were skeptical, but two minutes after parking our car, we saw three moose. Our persistence earned us a small prize after all, like a sweet dessert at the end of a meal.

In life, there is a lot of waiting, tiresome stretches where we sit with patient expectation to see a dream come true. This confounds us, because somewhere along the line, we got the idea that life is supposed to be easy. We chase comfort and good feelings, and grow frustrated when we encounter struggle and pain. The truth is, as Pope Benedict XVI implored, “You are not made for comfort, you are made for greatness.”

But to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, chocolate is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy. That’s why he rewards us with little treats along the way, to reward our efforts, keep us on the right track, and motivate us to keep going in pursuit of true greatness.

But God does not want us to get a spiritual sweet tooth. Perhaps heaven will flow with rivers of decadent chocolate, but chocolate is not meant to be our entire diet here on earth. He trains us to rely on faith instead of feelings. The small desserts we encounter on our journey are only a foretaste of what’s ahead.