The following is an excerpt from a journal entry written after our safari in the Serengeti.
The day ended idyllically as we made our way to the park’s exit. The setting sun, perfectly round, perfectly illuminating, slowly creep towards the sand & on its way cast stages of autumn hues on the barren plains. At special moments, the rays would hit the knobby branches of a solitary acacia reaching aimlessly toward the heavens, creating a still frame of an African quintessential. As the rocky road tossed my body around, my eyes remained fixed on the suns most epic of dissensions. Emotion & this overwhelming stream of magnificence welled within me. My mind danced with thoughts of life, death, & the unknown. I felt God & felt as though He himself was lowering the sun on a string- drawing it out- orchestrating dramatic lingerings to coincide exactly with the breaths of my heart. Music whispered into my ear “Lights will guide you home & ignite your bones“- those lyrics never held such meaning. Mind, body, heart, & soul- all stirring, all in harmonious tune, all consumed in a divine reverence. In that moment I felt paralyzed by a feeling of insignificance- so aware of my inability, of my humanity; yet, beyond cognizant of my intricate role & purpose in it all. I am just one person-a tiny spec of life, living, & breathing- thriving under a setting sun. But in my insignificance there is an undeniable greatness. There is a beating heart & a curious mind. There is a soul connected to something much greater than myself. So to me that setting sun was an analogy to my life. Dying for the day, erasing the past, entering into a transformative slumber only to rise again- radiant, new, & ready to light up the world.
