SOUND
"And there was silence in heaven..." Revelation 8:1
Things are very different here in Assam. For one, we are staying on the school compound in the guest house instead of our usual quarters of a local hotel. Lakla is more like a village than a town; which is why even the satellites here are silent with no Blackberry service. It is also close to three international borders so the military controls the transmissions.
The most notable difference (pleasant surprise) is the sound, or more appropriately stated, lack there of. In the city, the din of daily life, close to 24 hour traffic with horns blaring well past our jet-lag bedtime, is a constant. But here, as I write in the dark with the aid if my booklight - I hear crickets. In the distance the occasional unintelligible conversations of the workers and children can be heard, but mostly, the singing wings of the crickets is this night's symphony.
Another surprise is the cold. This is the farthest north we have been in India, ans for a Texan, when you "read" a temperature like 50 for the nighttime low - that doesn't sound too cool. But... in the semi-warmth under 4 blankets, long johns AND my fleece jacket, when I READ the actual temperature of the room (61) I know - THAT IS cold when you are not used to it. There is the sound coming from an old body trying to turn over in the night without exposing any body parts and thinking my teeth chattering will be the next sound I hear, other than the echo of the groan I just made.
Laughter...
What a great sound that is! One that needs no interpretation. Today our program here at the school for over 200 kids, generated plenty of that. Whether it was from my exaggerated antics seeing their friends dressed as kings and queens, chasing each other playing "duck, duck, goose", or learning to "Limbo" - the children were laughing.
Crying...
We don't like it, we try hard to avoid it, but we have come to expect it. At the village outreach - many of the children were very young. Those under 4, generally stay close to their siblings and eye us with caution at best, downright fear at worse. When we spot a potential "crier" (quivering lip, retreating steps, and then finally the inevitable "waaaaaaah" - we look away, avoid drawing any more attention to the situation - and try to regain the attention of the other children who are by this time making that favorite noise -
Laughter -
But the best sound of all is the one we are not privileged to hear. The sound of the angels rejoicing in heaven as the lost are found, the sinners redeemed, and the Chosen respond to the Shepherd's voice.
When I look out at the faces of children praying, the "inner ears" of my soul perk up. Like a dog hearing the inaudible whistle of his master and starts running - so my heart starts rejoicing. And them even the sound of my heart beating keeps heavenly time to the
SOUND!
"All God's children singing glory, glory, hallelujah HE reigns, He reigns."
Listening and smiling
Things are very different here in Assam. For one, we are staying on the school compound in the guest house instead of our usual quarters of a local hotel. Lakla is more like a village than a town; which is why even the satellites here are silent with no Blackberry service. It is also close to three international borders so the military controls the transmissions.
The most notable difference (pleasant surprise) is the sound, or more appropriately stated, lack there of. In the city, the din of daily life, close to 24 hour traffic with horns blaring well past our jet-lag bedtime, is a constant. But here, as I write in the dark with the aid if my booklight - I hear crickets. In the distance the occasional unintelligible conversations of the workers and children can be heard, but mostly, the singing wings of the crickets is this night's symphony.
Another surprise is the cold. This is the farthest north we have been in India, ans for a Texan, when you "read" a temperature like 50 for the nighttime low - that doesn't sound too cool. But... in the semi-warmth under 4 blankets, long johns AND my fleece jacket, when I READ the actual temperature of the room (61) I know - THAT IS cold when you are not used to it. There is the sound coming from an old body trying to turn over in the night without exposing any body parts and thinking my teeth chattering will be the next sound I hear, other than the echo of the groan I just made.
Laughter...
What a great sound that is! One that needs no interpretation. Today our program here at the school for over 200 kids, generated plenty of that. Whether it was from my exaggerated antics seeing their friends dressed as kings and queens, chasing each other playing "duck, duck, goose", or learning to "Limbo" - the children were laughing.
Crying...
We don't like it, we try hard to avoid it, but we have come to expect it. At the village outreach - many of the children were very young. Those under 4, generally stay close to their siblings and eye us with caution at best, downright fear at worse. When we spot a potential "crier" (quivering lip, retreating steps, and then finally the inevitable "waaaaaaah" - we look away, avoid drawing any more attention to the situation - and try to regain the attention of the other children who are by this time making that favorite noise -
Laughter -
But the best sound of all is the one we are not privileged to hear. The sound of the angels rejoicing in heaven as the lost are found, the sinners redeemed, and the Chosen respond to the Shepherd's voice.
When I look out at the faces of children praying, the "inner ears" of my soul perk up. Like a dog hearing the inaudible whistle of his master and starts running - so my heart starts rejoicing. And them even the sound of my heart beating keeps heavenly time to the
SOUND!
"All God's children singing glory, glory, hallelujah HE reigns, He reigns."
Listening and smiling
