Hello dear friends,
Have you ever taken a long stroll in the night?
One night last week I went for a walk at around 3AM. At first it was a little creepy, but after a while, it was wonderful. I meandered along. There was no moon. The stars were brilliant.
I recognized a couple constellations: Ursa Major and Ursa Minor. Ursa Major is also known as the Big Dipper. Before the Civil War, runaway slaves referred to it as the Drinking Gourd. I live in a place where runaways likely passed through the night on foot in pursuit of freedom in the North. They looked to the Drinking Gourd as a guide. It is a symbol of freedom.
Crickets chirped. Owls hooted. Deer barked as I approached their beds. I captured this picture of two bucks butting heads. They didn't notice me for a long time. I stood still, hidden in the shadows. So much to see and experience in the night time!
I thought about Jane Eyre. Last I saw her, she was curled up on the heath in darkness:
Night was come, and her planets were risen: a safe, still night: too serene for the companionship of fear. We know that God is everywhere; but certainly we feel His presence most when his works are on the grandest scale spread before us; and it is in the unclouded night-sky, where His worlds wheel their silent course, that we read clearest His infinitude, His omnipotence, His omnipresence.If you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, unable to rest -- perhaps a night walk will help you sort things out.
When I got back from my ramble, I slept like a baby til morning.
Peace & Joy,
Adriana
What a beautiful experience, my friend. :-) I too love nighttime rambles. The last one was when we were camping, when nearly everyone was sleeping and I wandered through the medieval campground all by myself. It was wonderful. Like something out of another time. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh my! That DOES sound wonderful. That reminds me of the time I camped under the stars here:http://www.pinterest.com/pin/123215739777643274/
DeleteThanks for sharing this experience, Adriana -- I love how you incorporated the Jane Eyre quotation. And that idea of the runaway slaves looking to the night sky and seeing a symbol of freedom there is so beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jeannie. My little camera doesn't capture night scenes very well. I wish I could show you more of what I experienced. Thankfully the deer were right under the light in our back yard!
DeleteHi Adriana, I'm still reading your blog, and have saved several posts to comment on. I just have to make more time somewhere to do it! But this post was irresistible! You do such a great job of making connections between literature and the journey of faith. The night sky has spoken to me too about God's omnipresence, although my night rambles are less voluntary... http://emotionallyrich.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/seeing-stars/ Bless you! Maureen
ReplyDeleteMaureen! I'm SO glad you left a comment. What a blessing to hear from you! It touches my heart that even though I haven't been able to blog much in the past several weeks, Classical Quest has not been forgotten. Glad this post spoke to you. Thank you for your encouraging words. :-)
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