There’s an old story about a monk fleeing from a hungry tiger. He comes to the edge of a cliff and begins to climb down a vine, out of the tiger’s reach. But then, to his dismay, he sees another tiger waiting at the bottom of the cliff. To make matters worse, he sees a mouse beginning to gnaw through the vine. Then, out of the corner of his eye, the monk sees a strawberry growing from the rock. So he picks it and eats it.
Priests used to tell that story to illustrate how life really is. Rarely is it easy. We live with the constant reality of danger and misfortune. But the answer is not to despair, nor to look for supernatural deliverance. The answer is to live bravely and enjoy the good things God has given while we have them, knowing that this life is finite and that there is another greater life beyond it.