The Still Beauty of the Night

   Susan was having trouble sleeping that night. She lay in her bed tossing and turning. She had just found out that her boyfriend wanted to break up with her. He found someone he liked better;  a newer model some might say. This was frustrating to her because she had given him two years of her life and she had thought they were going to get married. He informed her that day that the relationship was over. There was nothing wrong with Susan except that she had aged some in the last few years and had become more set in her ways. She was in her mid-forties and had gotten to where the exciting things that Jeff wanted to do such as sky-diving or scuba diving just did not excite her anymore. She had become such a homebody over the last several years. She was much happier with a good book and a cup of coffee or warm cocoa. This was especially true now in the fall when it was beginning to be cool and crisp in the evenings and warmer in the daytimes. The only thing she liked better than a good book was a football game and Jeff did not enjoy football.

  As she lay there trying to sleep, she decided to get up and look out the window to see what the night looked like. She sat on the window seat, the one where she read her books, and stared out into the cloudless starry night. The full moon gave everything a silvery glow and made it a beautiful scene. It was almost like mid-day. She begin to wonder when the last time she had been out and enjoyed God’s creation. She decided to take a walk in the moonlight. It was October and the nights were chilly, so she grabbed a plaid wrap out of the closet and went out into the night. It was around three in the morning when she went out. She started down her driveway and in the distance she saw the rock quarry sitting still for the night and the men who worked there were all in bed. As she walked a little further, she saw the house that belonged to her best friend from school and wondered about the people that lived there now. Her best friend’s family had moved away long ago. 

  As she headed east toward town, she noticed that it was so very quiet in the village. There was no wind and she did not hear the barking dogs from up the road who barked most of the time. It was so quiet that the only sounds she heard were her own breathing and the crunching of the leaves under her feet. The crunching of leaves was a very soothing sound to her.   As she continued along her path, she heard a voice speak to her as if there was someone there with her. The voice said to her, “Do not worry about your boyfriend, he is not the one that I have chosen for you. Continue to pray for the one that is to come that will be the one. Continue to dream and make plans but rely on me and those plans will line up with my plans for you.” As she listened to the voice, she suddenly realized that it was God speaking to her and that she was not alone. In fact, she never had been. Her mind was filled with the true peace of one who believes in the God of the universe. 

  As she worshiped where she was in the dark night on the quiet street, she came to the end of the street. On the corner where she stopped was the church that she attended regularly. She wondered if the door was open this late. She walked up to the doors and found them open. She entered and walked down the aisle of the church and sat in the front pew. As she did, a song came to mind that they sang in church.

“Oh Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

Oh Lord our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.

Oh, Lord, we praise your name;

Oh Lord, we magnify your name;

Prince of Peace, Mighty God,

Oh Lord God Almighty.”

  She thought about the story in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where Lucy went into the wardrobe and saw the streetlamp and the snow around. It was beautiful and this was a night not unlike that one. It was beauty at its finest and she knew that she would survive the coming storms or life.

  As she got up and began to head toward home, her roommate came out to meet her. She had awakened and was worried when she discovered that Susan was not in her room or in the house. As the two friends walked home in the dark, they were each lost in their own thoughts. It was enough that for now, they had each other. They were happy for the friendship that they shared. As they walked along, they looked forward to the coming of daylight when the colors of the trees would be visible; the beautiful browns, reds and yellows of fall. Lila said, “Of all the seasons on the earth, I like fall the best.” Susan nodded in agreement. There are seasons to all of our lives, and when we enter our favorite one, and trust in God, there is no telling where He will take us.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

Lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will direct your paths.”

                                                              Proverbs 3:5-6

 Both of these women decided that it was time to begin trusting in God for His provision and His protection in all areas, but especially in the area where men were concerned. Neither of them ever wanted to be in the wrong situation and somehow be caught outside of God’s will for their lives. All of these things started because Susan had been looking out of a window on the night and had decided to bask in the beauty of God’s creation.

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4