Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Holiday (04/05/12)
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TITLE: Memories That Bless | Previous Challenge Entry
By Shanta Richard
04/11/12 -
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The day was still dark when we started our trip in a bullock cart drawn by two bulls. My dad had left earlier in a jeep with his friends to be able to do some hunting and shoot the Indian Sambar deer. We were to meet him at the Traveler’s Bungalow in the jungle.
A great yellow moon shone over the canopy tree tops. Except for the cart driver’s occasional, “Hey,Ho!” there was silence. As the sun light slowly brightened the sky the moon faded into the clouds. A loud cacophony of bird cries heralded the new day. Squirrels raced each other up and down the trees, woodpeckers started pecking on the tree trunks, and flashes of emerald – green announced the flight of kingfishers. The Traveler’s Bungalow was the only building in those sylvan surroundings.
The cart driver was taking the bulls to the river for a drink of water and a bath. He invited me to join him. He showed me the pug marks of cheetah on the wet sand by the river, He also pointed out the path the elephants had cleared through the underground. I sat on a rock and watched the river flow by. The water was so crystal clear that I could see the pebbles and the fishes.
Dad and his friends joined us for lunch. I told him about the cheetah’s pug marks and the elephant’s path. He told me not to venture out of the verandah as this was a wild place. From my seat in the verandah I had a good view of the jungle. I could see the Sambar grazing in the open spaces, monkeys frolicking on the tree tops, various species of birds and a peacock dancing! Then I saw a black snake slithering in the dust into the undergrowth. That scared me.
Night comes early on the hills. Dad and his friends returned and we gathered around the campfire for supper. The men talked about their hunting experiences – about leopards and cheetahs and hyenas and huge python snakes -until I dozed off.
Early next morning we started for home. By the time we reached home it was noon and very hot. Our exciting trip into the jungle was over.
When I feel bored or restless I think about that day. The peacock proudly showing off his dancing skills to his harem, the monkeys having a serious debate on the tree tops, the snake leaving a trail on the dust as he slithered into the undergrowth, the cheetah’s pugmarks – all seem to belong to another world where God is in control. It was a place where I felt joy throbbing and peace whispering. It was a perfect place of rest. Somehow, even as a child, I had felt the presence of God in that jungle and I think that is why the blessing of that day returns time and again to console, comfort and encourage me. I remember Nehemiah’s words, “This day is holy unto the Lord, and neither be ye sorry. For the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Neh.8:10).”
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