Eyes on the Unseen Prize

  ***

  While riding up the chairlift with Nick, Piper thought of his many good qualities. He was loving, appreciative, and humble. He had loved his mother and had shown her great respect, which to her was a sign of the way he would treat a future wife. He wasn’t perfect in some ways, but neither was she. He was a keeper. No one is perfect. She looked over at her man, who now had a much better appearance than the one he had earlier that morning. Walk of shame. A humbling walk of shame.

  Cherie’s accusation about Nick being an alcoholic then entered her mind and she struggled with ways to handle such thoughts.

  She’s wrong about that. He’s not an alcoholic. That’s too strong of an accusation.

  She paused as she reconciled conflicting thoughts. Even if he is, I’ll stick with him. He’ll never get like Uncle Sully. And at least he’s not a mean atheist.

  Her thoughts turned to Chase and the way he had addressed her as “sweetie” and spoke of how he was more romantic than Nick. She wondered about his intentions. Either he was hitting on her or he was a narcissist. Either way, no one would accuse him of being a nice guy or a humble man. She chuckled over her clever use of the word “accuse” in her thoughts.

  The words “mean atheist” again flashed across her mind. He needed to change for the sake of her friend, Cherie. But what would make him want to change? His life was quite perfect and he was handsome, popular, and athletic. His fiancé was beautiful, sweet, and from a wealthy family. What more could they want? They had been blessed with a lavish wedding in Colorado, a honeymoon in the Bahamas, and a lifetime in sunny Florida. These issues burned in her mind.

  “Nick, I’ve been thinking about Chase and Cherie. You know, when you compare them with people who are suffering all over the world, it’s quite unfair. Why were they given so many blessings? They should be using those blessings to help others, like we do. We volunteer at the Collins Foster Home and help those less fortunate. Clearly, Jesus must be happier with what we’re doing on this earth than what they’re doing. I don’t think they do anything to help others.” Piper felt proud of herself for how she was using her own blessings.

  “You should try not to judge them. Makes you come across as being self-righteous.”

  A vision of an actor playing Jesus in a movie came into her mind. He was holding a wooden plank as He asked the crowd in front of Him why they spend their time judging others, ignoring the planks in their own eyes. It made her shudder.

  “You’re right, Nick. Why do I do that? Is it that I’m jealous?”

  “You have no need to be jealous of them, Piper. Your life is going very well too.”

  The lift arrived at the top of the slope and Nick and Piper popped themselves out of their chair and skied over to the top of an intermediate run. As they arrived, Piper scanned the mountain, which was canvassed by a blanket of glistening snow and dotted by clusters of snow-covered pine trees. Wrapped around the mountain was the deep blue sky, whose wispy cirrus clouds whirled and swirled high into the heavens.

  “This looks like a perfect way for us to make this the perfect day,” Nick said as he adjusted his goggles and hopped up and down on his skis to warm up.

  “It’s just beautiful out here. I’m ready for some shredding!” Piper started down the slope, feeling the crisp breeze of a new Colorado morning coupled with the warmth of her love for Nick, who was skiing just behind her.