JOURNEY FROM MEDIOCRITY PLAIN

Old Man of China had dwelt all his life in the narrow region beside the Foothills of Minimum Ridge. He built his humble hut in the shadow of a meager mountain called Ordinary. 

The mountain he had looked at every day of his life was a good mountain, providing shelter from the bitter blasts of winter wind and furnishing shade from the scorching summer sun. It was all that Old Man of China had ever known.

When Old Man finished his work in the rice paddy at evening, he derived a certain mild pleasure from sipping Jasmine tea while gazing at dependable Ordinary mountain. Because he had never seen another mountain, he thought this high hill, actually, must be the highest in all of China—perhaps in all the world.

All his long life he had heard rumors among the folk in Foothill Village that there were more glorious things to be seen over the distant horizon in Unknown Land. As old as he was, he was still restless and unsatisfied, longing to find out if there truly was something more beyond.

One day Old Man set off on a long journey from the Coastland of Adequate toward Inland Province of Normal. Many moons later, footsore and weary, leaning heavily on his staff, he could walk no further.

As he looked up from the dusty path and rubbed his eyes, he gazed upon a most splendid high mountain in the distance. It rose mysteriously before him from the plains. The mists of early morning encircled it and the sun bathed its slopes in gleaming gold. To Old Man the mountain seemed divine, surrounded with clouds of incense as in a temple.

Awed by its majesty, his heartbeat quickened and his hands trembled as he exclaimed, “I see a mountain! Never before have I seen a mountain!” 

The village folk of Normal Province crowded around the aged stranger and inquired from whence he came. Learning that he was a native of Minimum Ridge, they teased him, “Certainly you have seen mountains before! Did you not live in the shadow of Ordinary Mountain? After all, a mountain is a mountain! What is this mountain more than another, Old Man?”

He shook his head. “Do not dissuade me. Today is the first time I have seen a mountain! Heaven itself has bent down and touched the earth to fashion this thing of beauty. Ah Mountain! Although I never knew that you existed, I longed for you always in my restless heart. Thy name is ‘Fulfillment!’”

And ever afterward the lofty mountain was known by that name.

FULFILLMENT

Having dwelt many years

in Coastal Plains of Mediocrity

in the Region of Mildness

in the shadow of Mount Ordinary,

complacent yet restless,

my spirit longed

to experience something more.

One day Your Holy Spirit filled me

and I saw You, Jesus Christ,

my Lord and my God,

my Mountain of Fulfillment

as if for the first time.

Jesus Christ, Dawn of my soul

awakened, I knew You in part

but without the touch of fire,

not endued with Your power

until my eyes were opened,

and I beheld You in all Your glory

as my Lord, high and lifted up,

the Fairest of Ten Thousand

above all men and angels!

I cast myself

in worship at Your feet!

****

Before Columbus sailed to America, the coat of arms of Spain carried the motto:

Ne Plus Ultra, which means, “Nothing more beyond.”

But Columbus envisioned undiscovered worlds beyond and braved the terrors of unknown and uncharted sea. 

After his discoveries, the Ne was dropped from the coat of arms

leaving Plus Ultra: “There is more beyond!”

From THE RESOURCE BOOK

“Set your heart on things above. . . “ Colossians 3:1

“I press on toward the goal for the prize

of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14