The young man gathered together maps and studied the trails and cliffs. He hiked to the foothills where he would sit and look up to the top of the mountain. The foot hills were green and lush with wild flowers, slowly rolling up to steep slopes of loose gray shale that finally turned to sharp cliffs that over hung back and forth to the glacier capped top, mostly hidden in a year round cloud.

The young man could not really see a way to reach the top, for he could not see it, yet he new there must be a peak amongst the cloud covered top and he made it his life long goal to conquer the mountain no matter how long it took.

One early spring morning the young man set out on his -journey. He took only what he felt was needed to achieve his goal. He knew that he could not take on any unnecessary burdens on his trek to the top.

The local town’s people paraded him through the streets to say good bye and good luck. Many old timers gave him advice, "Follow the one that has gone before you." The young man did not under-stand the meaning, but he promised to take the advice and use it when he could. The old women kissed him for good luck and many young women cried to see him leave. With his maps and guides in hand he set off on his life long dream, the most important journey of his life.

He started at the foothills and worked his way up the loose shale slopes. He followed his maps along the way, he rehearsed the advice given to him by the old timers, always keeping his eyes towards the top of the mountain.

It was not long before the young man became tired. His legs grew tight and his feet were blistered. He became very cold and very hungry, his clothes became tattered and his shoes became worn. There were times he felt like giving IAP. His only motivation was to rehearse the words of the old timers as he climbed on until he reached the cloud covered peak. "Follow the one that has gone before you."

Never having seen the top through the clouds, the young man became lost. His maps did not show the top of the mountain, for- no one had ever been there. Although he had no guide, and could not see the top of the mountain, he knew it had to be there.

Just at the point of giving up, the clouds parted to reveal a beauty no other towns person had ever seen. The peak was covered with pearl white snow, the clouds were parted towards the peak showing a sea of blue sky. Close to the top the young man was surprised to see silver granite steps cut into the hard rock leading right to the highest point. Someone had been there before him and had carved a path to the top. He wondered who it could have been. "Who could have sacrificed so much time to pick away at the hard rock to make the last few steps so much easier for him to achieve his goal?" he asked himself. It was obvious that someone had been there before him. "Could it have been the one the old men had told him about?" the young man said.

The young man took each stone granite step under foot with gratitude for who ever it was that cut the steps from the rock. When he reached the top he was rewarded with the most spectacular view he had ever had, too marvelous for words was the beauty of the sky and the clouds and the air. He just sat there in wonder of all that was created and silently gave thanks to the one that cut the steps out of stone so that he could achieve his goal.

When the young man returned to town, he was greeted with a great homecoming. All the towns’ people were glad to welcome him home from his great journey and congratulate him on his great achievement. Yet with all the celebration, he could only think of the one who cut the last few steps at the top. If it were not for him, he might not have ever, made it.

We too have had some one cut the steps out of stone for us to enable us to achieve our, goals. It is up to us to find that one, and follow him.