Sunday, November 28, 2010

A Moment in Time

I have to share this with you all...

It was 2:35AM, last night, my dog gets up, pants hard and jumps out of bed, which could only mean one thing, and that is, that he needs to go outside.  I had had all my husband's family over for dinner earlier that day and I was exhausted.  I grumbled with anger and disdain as I crawled out of the warm and comfortable bed, mad at my dumb dog.   As I walked to the bedroom door I put on my sweatshirt jacket and my slippers over my knee length night gown.  Down the stairs, through the darkness, I whimpered, my feet aching with every step as I followed my little dog down the stairs to go outside. 

I opened the door and my breath stopped as the crisp frosty air hit my bare legs and face.  I watched as he went through the door, off the wooden porch and down onto the frozen grass, quickly shutting the door behind him.  I wondered how long I would have to wait for him to come back in.  I saw his breath in the air rise above his head and dissappear. 

He meandered and took his time, smelling here and there and looking around, doing his duty again and again, like no one was waiting for him. To my dog, he had all the time in the world.  I opened the door and stepped out, my intention was to encourage him back in the house as quickly as possible, so that I could go back to bed.  But, what happened instead, was that I was completely swallowed up by the most beautiful of sounds, an absolutely silent night, so quiet, so peaceful.  The grass had a soft grayish white luster on it, frost, stars so bright they made me worship the One who created them.  I knew I was all alone out there on the frozen lawn, but not alone.  He was with me.  The heavens engulfed me on all sides.  As I stepped through the grass with my slippered feet I heard soft crunching sounds with each new step.  My slippers were warm, but the ground beneath them was so cold and the grass seemed breakable.  Off in the distance I heard two owls talking to each other, whoo, whoo, whoo and then again from a different place whoo, whoo, whoo.  I listened and wondered.  I imagined them perched in their trees.  Oh how I wish I could've seen them.
I began to meander and take my time, just like my dog.  We walked around together, marveling.  I sensed great peace and wonder out there on my lawn at 2:35AM that I didn't want to go in.   I didn't want to leave it.  My grumbling and anger at my dog for waking me up and making me get out of bed, climb down the stairs and wait for him by the door, subsided.   I was now filled with immense solitary reverie. 

There is beauty in all trials, there is great love, and peace in the One who comes quietly and softly into our lives at the most unimaginable of times.  So, I guess it's ok, if my dog wants to go outside in the middle of the night.  I'll eagerly, yet sleepily, remove myself from my warm bed, put on a robe and slippers and I'll follow him outside again, just to grasp what I had experienced this past night and to wallow and wonder in it all.  (Maybe next time I'll grab my camera with me too.)   TYG!

2 comments:

Nancy said...

I LOVE IT!! Thanks so much for sharing this Mary! I know exactly what you mean...God is GOOD! :o)

Mary said...

Thanks Nancy, and Amen!