Jesus said, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." The truth of these words was once brought home to me very forcefully, when we were traveling in a part of the country far distant from our home. The thing we most desired to do while we were there was to see a wonderful view from the summit of a mountain of which friends had told us.
On the morning that we left the city to ascend the mountain it was very foggy, but we knew that the fog in that locality usually lifts about ten o'clock, so we thought little of it. The farther we went, however, the denser the fog became, and as we ascended the mountainside we encountered a thick mist, then a fine rain. On inquiry, we learned that at that special season of the year if the fog did not disappear at the usual time, it would probably last all day; and as it continued to grow worse rather than better, until we could see nothing except the things immediately around us, there seemed to be no hope that there would be any view at all from the summit.
It was indeed felt to be a great disappointment, and instead of putting it out of my thought I began to dwell upon it, and remarked that it was all the more serious because it was our only opportunity, as we had to leave for home the next morning. This was followed by a rather bitter recollection of the time, effort, and money we had expended in order to be there at all. Moreover, I recalled what a beautiful day the preceding one had been, and how I wanted to go to the summit then, but was prevented by a very trivial thing. I thus succeeded in building up a condition of thought which was most uncomfortable. It seemed as if I had only one desire, and that was that the fog should lift; and I was childishly unreconciled to any disappointment.
