Auguries of Innocence

This one is for all who love comforts of their homes and cringe at the very mention of outdoor camping escapades.  That was me, not long ago, until the Lord came along and opened my eyes.  It was quite an adventure!

Heavy drops of rain drummed against the thin canopy of our tent.  I tossed and turned longing for my comfy bed, inside of my warm house in the suburbs.  “I hate camping, I hate camping, I hate camping.”  I chanted quietly as I struggled to relax.  My three little angels slumbered beside me.  My sleep did not come easily, but finally it came.

It was midnight when the bear came crashing through our campsite, banging on the metal garbage cans, licking pots and pans and helping himself to the left over marshmallow on the picnic table.  It snorted and huffed.  Nothing but a thin layer of canvas separated my family from this black terror.

I sat up and listened; my eyes wider than saucers, my heart in my throat.

Hubby slowly raised his head, got up, carefully unzipped the tent and peered in to darkness.

I clenched my cell phone close to my heart, my only lifeline, and the world’s lousiest weapon.  Holding on to the phone, briefly made me feel safe.  Unfortunately, the grim reality quickly revealed the absurdity of the trust I was now putting in this tiny device.   There was no signal, and what was I supposed to do?  Throw the cell phone at the bear?  All the folds of modern civilization now proved worthless against this strength of God’s creation.

Hubby saw the bear!  It was black and very large, and thankfully it wandered off rather quickly.

Steve burned the fire through he night, because wild animals don’t like fires.  It was like “The Call of the Wild” in 3D.  He sat outside the tent all night, pondering how to protect his young family. One end of the stick in his hand, the other in the fire; he was ready to raise it at any moment and wave it in the air to scare the beast away.  Raaaaah!  Very manly, indeed!

The next morning we moved in to a cabin, for safety.  The cabin was old and cold, but not as cold as the tent was and most importantly it was dry.  Suddenly, I felt thankful for the bear, if it was not for the cursed bear, I would still be freezing my “behind” off inside a soggy tent.  Thank you Lord for turning these ashes in to beauty, I prayed with a smile.  And indeed beauty He gave me.   The humble log cabin stood by the edge of a noisy river. Water thrashed against grey rocks and splattered creating endless rainbows.  Ferns bowed down to the glory of their Creator, and the swinging bridge at the bottom of mossy steps danced for its visitors to melodious tunes of wild birds’ songs.

The Spirit breathed mist gently rose and fell.  Eager sunrays pierced the dark canopy of the forest, kindly blessing the spotted salamanders and orange frogs with solicitous affection.  And when the rains came and the hail fell, each hollow nook filled to the brink with transient diamonds, more precious than those on my finger. Breathless beauty heartened my curiosity.  Soon I forgot where my cell phone was and abandoned my civilized fears.

I now undertood what William Blake wrote so many years ago:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.

We stayed a day longer, than planned.  Departing was hard and everyone cried.   

Blue melancholy drenched my heart.  I did not want to return to the hectic world, clattered by myriads of now perceptible human obsessions.