A shack
in the
mountains...
One of my
most wonderful
visions took place
many years
ago. In it,
I had been on a
long, long hike
with perhaps 100
people. We
were all
exhausted, for
much of our trek
included climbing
over boulders,
slippery bogs and
fallen
trees.
Everyone was ready
for a break...to
rest a while. Then we
came to a clearing
and everyone fell
on the ground, so
happy to
stop. Soon,
we were looking
around at the
beauty of the snow-capped
mountains
surrounding us---
a view that made
us catch our
breath. We
reached a certain
height when
suddenly someone
shouted: “Look!
Look down
there...a
cabin!”
Everyone looked in
the direction he
pointed, and there
it was.
It was not like
most mountain
cabins people rent
for vacation
getaways, it was
just a shack, an
old shack.
Peaceful looking,
but not something
you could want to
live in
permanently. It
reminded me of my
grandparent’s old
farmhouse nine
miles from our
town, where there
was no
electricity, no
television, no
indoor
bathroom.
The only sound
indicating you
were not alone in
the world, was
when nighttime
came and wolves
and owls began to
howl.
Suddenly,
an old man opened
the front door of
that shack and
looked at all of
us. “Are
you
hungry?
Are you
thirsty?”
he yelled. “Sure”
someone
replied. “Then
I will bring you
something”
he said, and went
back inside.
Soon he had his
hands full,
ladened with so
much food and
drinks we couldn’t
eat it all. We
devoured
everything.
Then one
by one, we
finished and all
began to resume
the hike again.
But
before that happened,
I overheard some
of them talking, “You
know, that man
who lives in
that cabin used
to be
a king? But look
at him now,
living in that
little shack!”
I thought
to myself, “Wow!
wonder what
happened?
How come he’s not
in a royal
palace?” As I
stood there by
myself (I was the
last one in the
line) it occurred
to me that none of
us had even
bothered to thank
him. BUT IF
THIS MAN WAS ONCE
A KING, HE IS
STILL A
KING! So I
turned toward the
shack and shouted
“thank you, sir!”
If you were once a
king, you are
still a king. And
I thank you for
what you did for
me today.
Suddenly, he stood in front of me, but it wasn’t the old man. It was the Lord, dressed in a white robe!
Trembling.
I fell at his
feet.
He then
spoke these words
to me:
“Yes, I once lived in My glorious heaven, but left it all to come down to earth to live and die as a common man. I had no place to lay my head. I had no earthly possessions or wealth. And even now, most people still see me that way and say to themselves,“Poor Jesus. Poor Jesus, used to live like a king—but look at Him now, just living in that simple shackBut I am not “Poor Jesus” anymore—I have risen and have returned to my kingdom and all its glory. You have thanked me and recognized me as a king. Therefore, whatever you need—just ask Me. For all I have, is already yours. You have but to ask.”
Then this
vision
vanished.
I still
tremble when I
recall it.
Yet I always
remember what He
said to me. I have
only to remember
Him as my King,
give my needs to
Him and be
thankful for His
love and care.
Never
forget,dear
ones. Your
journey sometimes
get very weary and
physically tiring,
but hidden in the
valleys and
between towering
mountains facing
you as you must
endure to reach
your destination,
look around:
A King walks along
beside you.
MARY E
ADAMS