All the people were trusting in themselves, but they didn’t realize it. When anyone requested assistance, the people just assumed that they could help and thought well of themselves for doing so. The whole society was busy doing good works and everyone was dressed alike in the garment of self-righteousness. In the beginning, the garment was an off-white color, but in time, the color turned into a drab gray, but no one seemed to notice.

One day, a stranger came into town. No one had ever heard of him or seen him before. He said his name was “Trying Hard”. Now “Trying Hard” did not fit in this little town for he questioned every request for help. He then brought the request into an inner chamber of his heart where he said his “Master” dwelt. He claimed to get guidance from this one he called his “Master” and more times than not, he did not do what was expected of him.

Oh how angry the members of this society became with him. What angered them most was that “Trying Hard” would no longer eat from the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” that was located in the center of the city, nor would he honor the shrine that was set up before it. “Trying Hard” initially ate of this tree and even bowed down to the shrine, but he always got indigestion from it and sometimes got down right sick. When he bowed down to the shrine, he would lose his balance and fall flat on his face.

After several occasions of this happening to him, he went to his “Master” about it. His Master whose name was “Righteousness”, told him not to be concerned any longer about “Propriety”; that all the people in the town had heavy chains around them because of “Propriety’s” bondage and that “Trying Hard” had been sent to the town of “No Living” for the purpose of setting them free. Before that could happen however, “Trying Hard’s” name would have to be changed to “Rest”. This would be a difficult process because “Trying Hard” spent his whole life trying hard.

“Righteousness” instructed “Trying Hard” to go to the well of “Good Wishes”. The water from this well nourished the “Tree of Life” and it was through the waters of this well that all good things came. The well was to be found in the center of “Trying Hard”. Each day, “Trying Hard” was to make a journey to the center of his being. “Righteousness” told him that the water of good wishes was going to be used to produce delightful fruit on the “Tree of Life” and that after he ate it and had his name changed, that he was to give it to all the people.

“Righteousness” warned him that the “Sun of Reason” was not to be allowed to shine on the “Tree of Life” for it would burn it up. “Trying Hard” was to place a covering over the “Tree of Life” under which the “Light of the Spirit” would shine. No one who basked under the “Sun of Reason” would be able to see the “Light of the Spirit” until “Trying Hard’s” name was changed.

Now “Trying Hard” continued to try hard as he made his journey to the well. He took out the little bucket of prayers which he sent faithfully every day. An angel whose name was “Faithfulness” told him that if he found the way to get past the hard rock at the base of the well, that the water would freely come gushing forth, and that he would no longer have to send buckets down to get it.

Oh, how was he going to do this??? That stone on the bottom of the well was called “Resentment” and it had been there for a long, long time. Oh yes, anyone who had ever lived had this stone as a foundation. Truly, the foundation had to be removed but it was not going to be done by might or power. The dirt of “Pride” was also going to have to be bulldozed out and it was to be done by the “Light of the Spirit”. No one, and especially “Trying Hard”, had any inclination of the power of the “Light of the Spirit”. If he had, his name would not have been “Trying Hard”.

One day, “Trying Hard” sat down by the tree of “Damnation”. He had been trying hard again to remove the stone by his own might, and felt he was never going to succeed in what he was commissioned to do. He took the stone that was near the bottom of the tree and made a pillow of it. Oh, what a terrible pillow the stone of “Unbelief” made! His head hurt all day long. Try as he would not to go to the tree of “Damnation”, he would find himself there time and time again. Why was it that his feet just seemed to lead him there?

Now feet were given to men to walk in “Peace”, so “Unrest” came through the doings of feet. Feet were to be shod with the “Gospel of Peace” and it suddenly dawned on “Trying Hard” that he wasn’t wearing shoes. That’s why he chose to walk the sandy trail to the tree of “Damnation”.

Out of nowhere, which was really the “Great Somewhere”, the realm of the invisible, came the hip boots ordained for “Trying Hard”’s feet. They were to be all the way up to the hips because of the path “Trying Hard” would have to take back to the “Tree of Life”. He could not go back the way he came because the road was blocked. He would have to go through the murky swamp lands of “Indecision”, so the hip boots would be for protection from the snakes that lived in the swampy waters.

“Trusting Hard” would have to become “Trying Hard’s” name until he reached the tree that he was now realizing was not just “Life”, but “Eternal Life”. The fruit of that tree eaten and digested would cause one never to grow old. With this realization, “Trusting Hard” received the courage and determination to make it through the swampy land of “Indecision” and “Unrighteousness” as it sometimes was called. The other name was not apparent to “Trusting Hard” because of the “Spirit of Slumber’s” ability to keep him from knowing it. It was going to take “Heaven’s” help to deliver “Trusting Hard” from the power of “Slumber”, but “Heaven’s” help was at hand through the message from “Heaven” delivered by “Faithfulness”:

“The Light of the Spirit” was not always given to man upon just his call. A certain condition had to be met first: No one who was not humble could receive “Spirit’s Light”, and neither could one receive if he was one who hastily dissipated what was given. Too many claimed to be nurtured and claimed to have “Spirit” when in fact, all they had was the “Wind of Presumption”.”

“Trusting Hard” was going to have to bend his knee in a new way, not in the old form he was accustomed to. He would be required to sing the song of “Ecstasy” BEFORE the “Spirit’s” arrival. He would have to present the “Spirit” the gift of faith and then, and ONLY then, could the “Prize” be given. “Every man has desired the prize”, “Faithfulness” decreed to “Trusting Hard”, but few have been qualified to receive it.”

“Trusting Hard” was beginning to realize what was required of him on the dawning of the “Day at Hand”. All men were looking for a “New Day”, not realizing “The Day at Hand” was what they were looking for.

“Wake up, Wake up!” The trumpet has sounded this call for centuries, but alas, only a few have heard and obeyed. It was “Trusting Hard’s” turn to see the “Glory Within” and so with a loud voice he bellowed the song of the archangels, but NO, that was not the song to open the prison doors within. The song that was to be sung was buried in the innermost chambers. It would require a bird, even the dove from “Paradise” to discover it.

Poor “Trusting Hard”! He began his old practice of trying hard but to no avail. The song could not be produced in that way. “Rest”, he heard the dove say, “rest! It shall surely come if you enter into the celestial rest. The celestial rest is the rest of holiness-….All in you crying HOLY, HOLY, HOLY to the Lord!

Shhhhhhhhhhhh! It is God! Have you not discovered who God is? Yea, the mystery has been revealed in the “Secret Chambers”! …..

REST!!!