“Give thanks the Lord with all your heart." ~ Psalm 9:1
This isn’t a story of heroics, but
of utter foolishness … and much more!
As a sophomore in college, a
friend and I decided to spend one Saturday afternoon exploring a cave that he’d
been mapping for his geology class. He
was an experienced caver; me an enthusiastic novice. Not taking the necessary precautions
spelunkers take – we were fools!
About an hour in and after
swimming a short traverse underwater, all 4 of our “waterproof” light sources
failed. Total blindness – only texture,
temperature, and noise remained intact.
The underground became a blank page, or one scribbled with words we
couldn’t decipher.
Completely disoriented, we tried shaking our flashlights and
headlamps to coax out any remaining juice.
No luck! We decided to swim back
in the direction we’d come from, imagining the mental map that’d gotten us there
in the first place. On the other side,
we belly crawled, following a shallow stream we prayed would lead us back out
of the cave.
Prayerfully, I slipped into a kind of meditative calm,
allowing my thoughts to soften and unspool.
My mind floated through the tunnels in a peaceful detachment, scrambling
for any data that would help us regain our bearings.
Outside, a full moon cast a milky glow in that night
sky. Having experienced total darkness
for nearly five hours, it was the first time I remember getting a good look at
the moon unhindered by artificial lights.
It was as if its sight bellowed a song in the eyes of those willing to
raise our heads skyward.
A Cat Steven’s song immediately came to
mind. He too was able to see his shadow
cast by the moon; an experience which filled him with wonderment and serenity.
Cat Stevens’ personal favorite, "Moonshadow" was formally
released in 1971 as part of his fifth album, “Teaser and the Firecat.” It spoke of an unabated
appreciation for life, imagining that if he had to live without eyes, then he would no longer have to cry.
The vocalist predicted he’d still find a reason to relish
his life even devoid of those essentials. (He wrote the lyrics while recovering from Tuberculosis
and shortly before converting to Islam).
Fans found him “leaping and hopping on a Moonshadow,”
infused with joy not due to any material gain, but rather life’s simple pleasures,
such as seeing his own shadow cast by moonlight.
Gratitude is a CHOICE, a quietness that God whispers of His love as our truth. When we invite the stillness in, when we savor moments as if each was the greatest gift of all, there’s an appreciation that makes the soul robust, strong enough to greet both storms and sunny days just the same.
Father God, let me never forget all that You
do for me. Sustain me with the hope of
my salvation and the other countless blessings You provide with your continuous
presence. Deliver my life in testimony
to your incredible blessings. Amen
