Odd as it may seem one of my favorite parts was hiking through the rain. At first it was a glorious reveling in the gentle cool rain and the mysterious mists. Then it was an endurance challenge, me against the elements: could I weather the storm? The experience reminded me of a piece I wrote once upon a time when I didn’t have a car and walked through the rain a lot more than I do now, so I went back to my old blog to re-read it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was almost as good of a composition as I remember it to be, but couldn’t resist reworking it a bit in light of my new experiences and posting it in my Creative Nonfiction here.
A couple weekends ago my six brothers and I all went backpacking together for the first time ever. Plenty of camping, hiking, and backpacking trips had previously occurred, but never with all of us together, or for so ambitious a trek. In all we ascended over a mile in elevation, and packed over twenty miles of Smoky Mountain tails. It was truly an adventure: we had cook stoves catch on fire due to failed o-ring values; we hiked through the rain and then had to take swift action to provide shelter and warm food for a couple members of our group who were edging towards hypothermia. It was spiritually revitalizing: we sang hymn, talked about theology and life, saw deer, elk, and boar, and soaked in the glorious beauty of a temperate rain forest, lush with spruce, fir, rhododendron, mountain laurel, and wild azalea . It was truly an awesome trip.
Odd as it may seem one of my favorite parts was hiking through the rain. At first it was a glorious reveling in the gentle cool rain and the mysterious mists. Then it was an endurance challenge, me against the elements: could I weather the storm? The experience reminded me of a piece I wrote once upon a time when I didn’t have a car and walked through the rain a lot more than I do now, so I went back to my old blog to re-read it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was almost as good of a composition as I remember it to be, but couldn’t resist reworking it a bit in light of my new experiences and posting it in my Creative Nonfiction here.
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The last year and a half has been very full, and very difficult. I recently received an SMS from my uncle which quotes part of Hebrews 12, and I read the whole chapter, drinking in the encouragement to press on. While thinking over the recent events in my life in light of that chapter, I reflected back on another similarly difficult time in my life and I thought I'd share here part of a post I wrote on my original blog back then:
Sometimes in life you have no idea what is going on, sometimes you have absolutely no clue what God is doing or why. At times like these I often fall back on one simple phrase. “Aslan is On the Move!” It is repeated amongst my family and friends as an encouragement, a rally cry, a prayer, and a benediction, almost as if it were a magic spell. This simple set of five words never fails to inspire in my body and soul a profound effect, but rather than trying to explain it to you myself I shall give you the words of the one who coined the phrase. ‘Here the Beaver’s voice sank into silence and (…) it added in a low whisper- “They say Aslan is on the move" (…) The moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don’t understand but in the dream it feels as if it had some enormous meaning—either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning to lovely to put into words, that makes the dream so beautiful you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now (…) At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feel you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.’ So when the world looks bleak, and hope seems dim, take up the cry “Aslan is on the move!” Remind yourself and all around not to lose heart because: “It’s no good, Son of Adam, (…) no good your trying, of all people. But now that Aslan is on the move (…) He’ll settle (things) all right (…) Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight, At the sound of His roar, sorrows will be no more, When He bares His teeth, winter meets its death, And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again! “You’ll understand when you see Him.” To the King! |
Andrew J. Goggans
A medical writer and freelance wordsmith in the Raleigh, NC area, I devote my time to various writing endeavors and to life with my wife and three lovely daughters. Described by friends as a "modern hobbit," I record my efforts, adventures, and contemplations here and at Skipping Bachelorhood. Archives
March 2015
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