Random Visions in a River Valley

Snaking along the Road
I saw a dirty-big snake one day, our first on this rocky, hillside property. It was a brown snake, possibly an eastern brown, probably about 5 or 6 foot long. I believe both species are deadly, the eastern variety just does the job a whole lot quicker, a few kilometres shorter. Snake was slithering his slimy slenderness toward the house, just twenty feet away, but the car I was driving frightened him off, thankfully, as we could have collided and I get a puncture.

Still, I think the roads are more dangerous, especially if you run into some snake-bit dude: poisoned out of his brain, double-vision, winding along the road wildly as he rushes himself to hospital’s casualty before he carks it. Remind me to make sure I miss them both.

It is weird thinking we all live amid life-threatening circumstances, something waiting to be stepped upon, or run into. Such is life – but none of us are totally alone, thankfully.

Willow & Gopher Wood.
One pleasant evening I strolled with my wife through Tucker Park down onto the river's edge. It was just like we had done nearly thirty years ago as an engaged couple; there’s been a lot of water under Paterson Bridge since then. And we saw those willows hanging their graceful limbs over the water's edge, without a thought to the days when they will get wrenched at and torn apart by a raging torrent during flood. After it passes they will flop back into their space and hang their boughs in their contented, carefree pose. They won’t have any flooding memories about passed events; they’ll just get on with being willows.

If only it was just as easy to do the same, after the torrents of life have had their way, ripping at our being and dampening our soul. The time will come, I am sure. It will come and we can float at ease on such a Noahic redemption. In fact, it is already here if we look.

Tall Trees & Terrific Tails
There was one morning I was up at 4:30am. I sat out on the balcony to pray and meditate before the day set in, and before I could get myself into an undesirable state of unblessed busyness. After an hour or so I began pondering the merits of cutting down a certain, very tall, gum tree -- so prominant in the view from the balcony. It was not that I wanted to, but that another person suggested it. To them this tree ‘stuck out' too much. Or, was it because it ‘stuck into' the view? But I like it -- it reaches into the sky above the line of hills. It frames the view and accentuates the majesty of this beautiful valley in which it stands as a sentinel.

Then, a magnificent wedge-tailed eagle came and perched in it, right smack there in front of me. It was an amazing sight. The Lord knows I love his creation and this was one of those special 'I know where your heart is' blessings. We had only ever seen this bird soaring effortlessly over the gully, but too far off to see clearly. We have also seen a Goshawk and other stunning birds come and perch there. Immediately my mind was settled -- there was no way this tree was going, even though it might collapse across our driveway. It stays!

But there is more to this incident while I was waiting on the Lord, than I first understood, and the eagle is central. It was through the eagle that Lord reminded me of his word of encouragement to his people: to remember that He is not one to forget us, nor is he ignorant of the difficulties we face, even those which have been pressing upon us for a long, long time. Furthermore, He will give us all the strength we need to live as if on the wings of an eagle...

‘Why do you say …

"My way is hidden from the LORD ;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
But those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not be faint.’

Isaiah 40:27-31.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The above was published in the May issue of our village paper, the Paterson PSST, and includes edits of previously writings in this blog.