Quiet Gifts

High upon the mountain, a temple rests within the mist.

The traveler below cannot always see its walls. Some mornings the clouds hide the path, and the way ahead seems uncertain. Yet the temple remains exactly where it has always been.

So it is with the soul.

We often mistake the mist for abandonment because we cannot see what lies ahead. We worry about tomorrow, counting what we have and fearing what we may lose, forgetting that the birds of the air are fed and the flowers of the field are clothed in beauty without carrying tomorrow upon their wings.

Be still.

The mountain does not worry about reaching the sky.

The bird does not doubt the morning.

And the temple does not disappear simply because the traveler cannot see it.

Give thanks for what has already been given. Look closely, and you may discover that the smallest desires of the soul have been answered with an abundance greater than you imagined—not always in the form you expected, but in the quiet gifts already surrounding you.

The path may be hidden.

The summit may disappear into the clouds.

Still, walk.

For God is with you in the mist as surely as He is beneath the clear sky.

And when the path becomes steep, remember that you do not walk it alone. His angels keep watch over the traveler, guarding the uncertain steps and guiding those who trust the journey.

Do not spend the journey fearing the mountain.

Walk in peace.

The temple is there.

The path is beneath your feet.

And even when the mist hides the summit,

you are never beyond the care of God.