Part 3 — A Friend on the Mountain

there is a quiet—sacred sanctuary
beyond the treacherous chasms of life
where weary footprints fade into stone
and summer rains smooth trails of tears
where the darkest sorrows can find repose
and where desperate spirits seek repair
a place where those who mourn are blessed
in solemn temples of authentic friendship
nourished beside clear healing streams
that flow with divine waters of empathy
where our hands become God’s hands
and where ears listen more than loose lips
where gentle voices confide and guide
with words bearing truth through trust
where hearts mourn beside our mourning
and backs bear one another’s burdens
even Jesus knew that healing proceeds
any remedies that build faith and hope
and that is why—in today’s long journey
God’s greatest miracles are found in us—
we are the stewards of everlasting peace
where troubled waters can be comforted

(Matthew 5:4)