A Child’s Pilgrim Path

by Gary Bertnick

This was  requested by a youth pastor at a local church for use with the kids. It is more allegorical with colorful illustrations. Each short chapter is a challenging path.

SNOW CAP MOUNTAIN  preview

Uphill Climb, Beginning to Trust

The angel gave them encouragement as he led them to the start of a path. Nathaniel was surprised to see it, but his mind was more on his sister and the smaller one whose name was Meg. How could he travel with two girls, one four and one seven years old.
He felt troubled. He was worried about all the problems that could be ahead. Climbing would be difficult alone. But with two girls–his heart began to feel heavy.

“Listen, Natty, do you hear it?” whispered Amy. “It’s so beautiful.”

Nathaniel was shook from his thoughts. He had forgotten to listen for the wind song. His worries had blocked his ears. But he was thankful his sisters had heard it.

SNOW CAP MOUNTAIN
Uphill Climb, Beginning to Trust – Chapter 1

by Gary Bertnick

Click to access Snow%20Cap%20Mountain.pdf

The angel gave them encouragement as he led them to the start
of a path. Nathaniel was surprised to see it, but his mind was
more on his sister and the smaller one whose name was Meg. How
could he travel with two girls, one four and one seven”years old:
He felt troubled. He was worried about all the problems that could
be ahead. Climbing would be difficult alone. But with two girls–
his heart began to feel heavy.
“Listen, Natty, do you hear it?” whispered Amy.
“It’s so beautiful.”

Nathaniel was shook from his thoughts. He had forgotten to
listen for the wind song. His worries had blocked his ears. But
he was thankful his sisters had heard it.

~ Trust little ones, trust always
There is no fear when you walk my path
There is nothing to be afraid of
Nothing shall move you
You are cupped in my loving hands.
My heart always longs to draw you near.
Only trust my little ones. ~
Only trust me and do not fear. .-

Nathaniel felt new courage and confidence move
The song lifted him and made his footsteps feel light.
inside.
When he looked
back at the girls to see the smiles, their eyes so clear, he realized
the angel had left them. They were beginning to climb.

 The Climb
For some time they moved up the path carried along by what seemed
to be wings. The clouds came nearer and nearer. The valley and
hills were farther than Nathaniel had imagined.
While they walked the lovely song moved along in his mind.
“How wonderful,” he thought, “to have good songs,fresh living songs
in your heart. Like jewels in your own private treasure chest.
Clean, pure thoughts.”

He looked back to the girls; they were beautiful in their coats.
Their faces beamed and gave him encouragement as well. How much better
it was to have others along and not to be alone. Then his
eyes moved beyond them to the path below.

They had traveled far in their zig-zag way, using switch backs.
But they had so much farther to go. Suddenly a chill swept over
Nathaniel. Then a wave of fear, followed quickly by confusion.
In a moment of panic, all he could think of was to look forward,
ahead along the trail. Then just as suddenly he calmed down and
the words of the song popped back into his mind.

“Could it be:” he wondered aloud. Then he looked once more
past the shiny faces, and the chill and fear returned. Quickly
he turned forward. They lifted once again.
Nathaniel realized that to be clear in his mind he had to concentrate
on the path ahead. To be where he was and not where he
was not, especially places left behind. They were moving forward.
His brain and nose had to be pointing in the same direction as his
feet for things to work right.

Higher
The children went along their climb until Nathaniel noticed
the path was becoming less and less clear until it had faded completely,
Just as he was about to say something to the girls, Meg
called out “Natty, Natty, your coat is so white and shiny~ And so
is mine. And so is Amy’s.”
Truly the coats were a pure white. Beautiful, even as the surroundings
became more and more barren, and bleak. Only small scrub
trees could be seen. Not even birds were this high. “Nothing could
live up here, Nathaniel thought as he looked around. But why were
their coats so white? And they felt so warm. Snow and ice
were ahead and yet the coats kept them so warm. He began to be
thankful out loud. For the coat, for the angel friend, for his
sister and Meg, for the wind songs. As he began to offer thanks
from his heart, the girls joined in also.
Then something peculiar happened. With each praise, with each
thanks given, the coats pulsed with white light.
got brighter, dancing like another kind of music.
A glowing that Nathaniel and the girls began to dance as well because they felt so good.
They twirled each other–Meg spinning Amy, Amy spinning Nathaniel. Both
girls spinning each other on and on in laughter and praise and fun.
Even though snow and ice were around, they felt warmer and
happier than ever. On through the snow they went, moving swiftly
along.

What If We Fail
As they passed through the snow fields, Nathaniel saw ahead
what looked like cliffs going straight up. As far as could be
seen–jagged cliffs. Once at the base they were indeed found to be
cliffs. Icy, slippery cliffs. Nathaniel and the girls stood holding
hands wondering what to do. “Help us, True One,” said Amy, her eyes
closed to the wall of dark rock that blocked them. “Yes, we need
you,” Meg added. Nathaniel felt a chill again.
He decided to climb first to £ind a way for the girls. He
remembered the encouraging words of the wind song. Finding a small
crack in the rock, Nathaniel began to inch his way up bit by bit.
His muscles strained, his fingers ached. At about twenty feet high
his foot slipped and down he crashed. He was stunned. He didn’t
expect to fall. The ground was hard but luckily he felt only bruised.
The girls said nothing, only tried to help him up. He would try again.
He would trust the song. He would rely on the invisible presence
of the True One to help. Up Nathaniel went again, this time higher
and higher until he believed it was happening. They would find a
way: They would truly make it to the top of the mountain. Then
Nathaniel’s hands and feet gave out. He dropped a long way to the
ground. It was a terrible sight. It couldn’t have happened.
The girls were crying as they helped Natty. This time he had cuts
and broken bones. He had failed. They would have to turn back
now somehow.
Amy saw the scroll on the ground near Nathaniel. She opened it
in desperation and read the first thing her eyes saw–“Enter the
pool of change. Healing will truly flow from it.”
She remembered passing what seemed like an icy, shiny area back in
the snow. “Could that be it?” she thought. “We must try:”
So the girls struggled to drag Nathaniel to the icy pool.
They could see mist rising from the spot ahead. The pool: On
touching the ice, Amy felt instead clear, warm water. “Yes, it
‘must be as the scroll says.

 Atop the Mountain
Far across the way other mountains could be seen. Like waves
of grain waiting for the harvest of harvests. Shadowy, green valleys
were ribbons in between. Some mountains had touches of snow as
coverings. A river could be seen in the great distance, stretching
for what seemed forever. And beyond that the blues of the ocean
and sky joined together. The sun was going down with fireworks.
The sun taking off its armor after another day of triumph and
complete victory over shadows and darkness.

“Natty, come here,” said Amy. “Someone has prepared a great dinner
banquet.” Meg was already filling her mouth with breads and
fruits and delicious drinks. Nathaniel ran over to see the feast
spread out on the beautiful scarlet blanket. Tears blurred his
vision.
The girls never remembered seeing their brother cry. They stopped
and watched him. Their eyes became wet, also.
“The True One has been so good to us,” Nathaniel got out.
“Even though we haven’t seen him, even though we don’t see him
now, we know the proof of his love for us. He has proven himself
to us again.” The children were truly grateful.
They sat around on the blanket. Like children of royalty, they
feasted. On rolls and pies and sweet cakes and salads and fruits
and wonderful drinks, they ate and drank and had their full. Much
more was left over.
Then Nathaniel opened the scroll and began to read:
The closer you grow, the clearer you see. Tears of love
wash the eyes clean. Whether mountain top or valley low,
wisdom is to see as the Lord sees. Rest on high wherever
you are. From this day forward live with a clearer
vision. For that is true wisdom.

“Yes, they had grown,” thought Nathaniel.
“And surely this was but the beginning place.”

Continued in Chapter 2