Week 26, Day 7

Our last but not least Guest Blogger is Ryan Hulett. Ryan is a friend of mine from church who I've known for about 2 years. He quickly became one of my best friends: a constant source of support and encouragement. I spend the most time with Ryan- it's a blessing to be in community with him. He's seen the Jekyll and Hyde in me and hasn't run away. One of the things I admire most about him is his love for God. He challenges people to think, and he's so stinking intelligent. It's truly amazing how God uses Ryan to teach me and challenge me. He's a pro at strategy games and has introduced me to those games, which I now love to play. Ryan is like a chameleon and can blend in with any group of people, and part of that is because he loves and accepts people for who they are. Ryan is great at so many things, and is truly more awesome than he thinks.

So here's Ryan's blog! Enjoy!

There once was a young jeweler who owned a shop on the edge of town. He kept mostly to himself and went out only in search of a new piece to add to his collection. He had no close relations and he took no lover but his collection.

The jeweler’s collection was the finest in all the land, full of rare and exotic gems beautiful beyond description. Daily he would spend hours poring over them taking in as much as he could of each, seeing them, touching them, breathing them in. His collection was full but it had not satisfied him. He longed for more.

He had heard rumor of a gem, a most beautiful gem beyond compare. One which when gazed upon could lift the spirits of the bearer and bring happiness to the soul. A gem lost long ago and for many ages.

One day as the jeweler examined his treasures a strange and hooded man came into his shop. The man wore a long brown cloak which hid his shape and his hood obscured all but trace shadows of deep set eyes.

“Can I help you sir?” asked the jeweler.

To which was replied, “No sir, indeed I am here to help you.”

Somewhat confused the jeweler listened on with intrigue.

“I know what it is you desire, and I know where it can be found,” said the man with a distant gaze in his eyes. He moved toward the window and with a long spindly finger rising up out of his cloak he pointed to a mountain in the distance. “There is a gem on that mountain which cannot be found by natural means. It calls to you. Possess this stone and your collection will be complete.”

The young jeweler came to stand next to the man and as he did so there came a twinkle of light from up on the mountain so subtle yet so certain, as if winking at him. Caught off guard the jeweler turned to ask the stranger what it was but turning found that no one was there.

For the rest of the evening the jeweler could not get the encounter out of his mind. He could not focus and so he decided to leave the very next morning in search of this most beautiful gem. Selling what he could of his collection and resolving to abandon the rest he bought supplies and went to sleep restlessly if at all.

The next morning before the sun had risen he left his shop burning it to the ground and began the long journey toward the mountain. As he walked the jeweler began to grow weary and every time he did that same twinkle up the mountain would spur him onward until at last he came to the base.

That night, sleeping at the base of the mountain, a strange dream came to him where he was swimming with mermaids in an endless see until after blinking his eyes he found himself alone in a desert. He awoke abruptly to find despair had come over him. Shaking it off he decided to set on up the mountain.

He followed the twinkle he had seen before until after half a day’s journey it appeared to him again in another place and then another. This went on for three weeks time. Up and down the mountain he went round and round and round to no avail. Frustrated, exhausted and unable to take even one more step the man collapsed on a rock and began sobbing.

All was lost, his shop, his collection, his sense of purpose, and for what? For nothing, a fool’s errand. He would die here alone on this mountain. Then, as he wept, head buried in his hands he saw it again.

The twinkle appeared to him. But this time it was not far off but close at his feet. A small light shone from under the dirt and he began to dig quickly uncovering a stone unlike any he had ever seen before. About the size of his hand the gem was light in weight. So light in fact that it felt almost as if it would float away. And it made the jeweler feel lightened as well.

There was a warm glow about it and when he gazed inside the jeweler could see all the colors of the rainbow (and some not) dancing about one another in a myriad so mesmerizing time seemed to both fly by and stand still. Staring into the gem all of the cares of the world seemed to disappear.

Before he knew it night had fallen and the jeweler needed to make camp. He placed the stone in a small pouch on his side and headed off down the mountain. As he walked the burden of the gem grew heavier on his side. When he pulled it out to look upon it once more is seemed to have shrunk in size and its once brilliant finish appeared hazy. His exhaustion must be playing tricks on him.

Looking into the gem he slowly began to walk down the mountain when all of the sudden the root from a tree seemed to reach out and grab his foot, he tripped, and the gem went sailing down the mountain and rolled into a hole at the base of a tree. Frantically the jeweler raced to reclaim his treasure. He dug and he dug but it no matter how much dirt was removed the stone was just out of reach.