There was a hunter who went hunting in the forest and the fields. One day, it took him a lot of time and effort to climb a high mountain looking for a wild animal. He was exhausted and sat on a big stone to relax. When he saw a flock of birds flying from one place to another effortlessly, he started thinking, “Why didn’t God give wings to us humans? We could be flying instead of climbing mountains.” A humble hermit was passing through that place at the time. He read the hunter’s thoughts and that is what he said to him:
– You complain that God did not give you wings but if you had wings, you wouldn't be satisfied, either. You’d say, “My wings are too weak to fly to the heaven to see what is going on there.” If you received wings strong enough to rise up and see the heaven, you would not be satisfied, and you’d say, “I can’t understand what is going on here.” If God gave you the ability to understand the heavenly matters, it wouldn’t satisfy you. You would complain, “Why am I not an Angel?” And if you turned into an Angel, you would keep complaining that you are not a Cherub. If you became a Cherub, you’d bewail the fact that God did not entrust the whole heavenly realm to you. Even if you were privileged to manage the heaven, you wouldn’t be satisfied, either. You would look for more power, like you know who. That’s why you should humble yourself down and be satisfied with what you’ve got, and this is how you can stay with God.”
The hunter realized that the hermit was right. He thanked God for sending him someone who instructed him and revealed the path of humility to him.
By St. Silouan the Athonite
Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds
Translated by The Catalog of Good Deeds
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