The
beginning of the journey was so dark that the staffers around me were mere
outlines and shadows. After counting everyone present, we plunged into the
knee-deep river and began to follow it downstream, guided by a couple
flashlights and faint variations of brown and gray in the darkness. Gradually the light increased
and I was able to see the water eddying over rocks, the branches laced on
either side and sometimes reaching into our pathway, and the flood line painted
a few days before, exactly at eye-level. Catches of song floated through the
air, overflowing from full hearts. "On
the Jericho Road, there's room for just two..."
We paused
to observe bear footprints in the mud, now two or three days old. The boys had
seen them when they were fresh and wanted to show them to us. Suddenly someone
called, "Look behind you!"
We turned
to see the sky transformed by a brilliant sunrise, its color reflected in the
rippling water. Morning has broken like
the first morning; blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the
singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them springing fresh from the Word.