In This Earshot
(Continued from The Root of Joy, 4/2 Archive)
At first I was surprised by the fact that morning light broke on the horizon at the same time in which I experienced this glad awakening in my heart. But as we enjoyed it and marveled in the early hour beauty, I grew in awareness that this light of day in our dark world had much to do with the choice toward happiness.
Knowing how difficult it is to choose such when things are dark and the direction is not clear, I bid the others by reminding them that we were on this walk because God had decided we should be. "Make no mistake about it," I said, "you are with me because God put something in you, stirred you up when you were asleep. We're walking this path because the Lord of Hosts is coming--be glad in it."
What a sight I had before me. In the day light I could see that more had joined my company during the long night. I estimated at least two hundred of mixed ages, gender and size. For the most part, they were motley, ragged and broken in spirit. None had weapons except my younger friend and one other, a man in armor who carried a spear. The rest had sticks or carried nothing at all by which to defend themselves. But I saw faith in some of them, particularly in a couple of the women. One was older, near my age; the other, younger. Both were obviously strong. They had chosen happiness and encouraged those around them to give praise and thanksgiving. I also was greatly encouraged by them.
Why had all these people taken to me? I had had no intention to gather people about me. They stood in front of me nonetheless, dependent in their anticipation that I would somehow take them out of this dark wilderness. We were as a crowd on a great wide plain, sparsed by bush and a few trees. Rock outcroppings, some higher than others decorated the landscape seemingly without logic. We could see many other people about at distances near and far. Most were in bands following someone but a few walked alone or in small company. I could see as the dawn grew stronger that the faint lights of glowing swords I'd seen on the ground here and there were leaders of these bands.
"We're certainly not alone," I commented to my close friend.
"Praise God," he responded.
"Exactly," I realized at his words. "That's exactly right!" He had just handed me a revelation. I stopped walking. The crowd stopped with me.
I turned to them and spoke loudly so that all could hear, "Remember by The Hope Stone how we praised God and thanked Him? That's what we must do! Now raise your voices to Him who created you and praise Him."
I began singing a simple phrase. The two women I mentioned joined in easily as they were leaders themselves and, though softly at first, even the complainers began to sing. Soon the pack of us became a source of unified song. Our harmony carried across the plain. Other groups stopped walking as well. Hearing our song, they joined in the chorus. Some of those who walked alone fell to their knees. One man walking alone in the distance raised his arms up looking toward the breaking sky. Song spread across the land in a wave moving out in all directions.
"Daniel," I said, for his name was Daniel, "Do you see what I see?"
"Everyone is singing," he said with a half-controlled laugh of delight, "They're praising God--praise God! They're praising God!"
"Yes, everyone is praising Him! Keep singing." The song was the same everywhere: I need thee Lord. I need thee, yes I need thee, which then became collectively: We need thee, Lord, yes we need thee. We need thee. Over and over again people sang in harmony the same words and with great joy they sang it. One could not help but be happy in this earshot and as we sang, the day's light grew stronger still.
### Dwayne K. Parsons
At first I was surprised by the fact that morning light broke on the horizon at the same time in which I experienced this glad awakening in my heart. But as we enjoyed it and marveled in the early hour beauty, I grew in awareness that this light of day in our dark world had much to do with the choice toward happiness.
Knowing how difficult it is to choose such when things are dark and the direction is not clear, I bid the others by reminding them that we were on this walk because God had decided we should be. "Make no mistake about it," I said, "you are with me because God put something in you, stirred you up when you were asleep. We're walking this path because the Lord of Hosts is coming--be glad in it."
What a sight I had before me. In the day light I could see that more had joined my company during the long night. I estimated at least two hundred of mixed ages, gender and size. For the most part, they were motley, ragged and broken in spirit. None had weapons except my younger friend and one other, a man in armor who carried a spear. The rest had sticks or carried nothing at all by which to defend themselves. But I saw faith in some of them, particularly in a couple of the women. One was older, near my age; the other, younger. Both were obviously strong. They had chosen happiness and encouraged those around them to give praise and thanksgiving. I also was greatly encouraged by them.
Why had all these people taken to me? I had had no intention to gather people about me. They stood in front of me nonetheless, dependent in their anticipation that I would somehow take them out of this dark wilderness. We were as a crowd on a great wide plain, sparsed by bush and a few trees. Rock outcroppings, some higher than others decorated the landscape seemingly without logic. We could see many other people about at distances near and far. Most were in bands following someone but a few walked alone or in small company. I could see as the dawn grew stronger that the faint lights of glowing swords I'd seen on the ground here and there were leaders of these bands.
"We're certainly not alone," I commented to my close friend.
"Praise God," he responded.
"Exactly," I realized at his words. "That's exactly right!" He had just handed me a revelation. I stopped walking. The crowd stopped with me.
I turned to them and spoke loudly so that all could hear, "Remember by The Hope Stone how we praised God and thanked Him? That's what we must do! Now raise your voices to Him who created you and praise Him."
I began singing a simple phrase. The two women I mentioned joined in easily as they were leaders themselves and, though softly at first, even the complainers began to sing. Soon the pack of us became a source of unified song. Our harmony carried across the plain. Other groups stopped walking as well. Hearing our song, they joined in the chorus. Some of those who walked alone fell to their knees. One man walking alone in the distance raised his arms up looking toward the breaking sky. Song spread across the land in a wave moving out in all directions.
"Daniel," I said, for his name was Daniel, "Do you see what I see?"
"Everyone is singing," he said with a half-controlled laugh of delight, "They're praising God--praise God! They're praising God!"
"Yes, everyone is praising Him! Keep singing." The song was the same everywhere: I need thee Lord. I need thee, yes I need thee, which then became collectively: We need thee, Lord, yes we need thee. We need thee. Over and over again people sang in harmony the same words and with great joy they sang it. One could not help but be happy in this earshot and as we sang, the day's light grew stronger still.
### Dwayne K. Parsons
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