Not Animal Farm

I had the chance to meet up with quite a few friends over this week. Firstly, it was the Eagle, another dear friend I had know for more than six years already. Like always, he was soaring way above most other people I know. We can only get to meet once in a while, a long while, but the meetings have always been wonderful times of catching up. Like in the past, one of the topics fell on finding a partner on the journey (life partner, or soul mate, they call it). He is still soaring alone way up there, I am still running alone down here. Maybe he should start looking down and I up. Another reason why I enjoy meeting the Eagle was that we would seek the Lion (who is also the Son, who is also the Lamb, who is also... but that is another story) together at the end of every meeting. This did not happen. Perhaps we were both tired at 3 in the morn.

I met up with White Bear tonight, again, after seeing him from a distance but it was something else that prompted this meeting. Travelling on this journey is not easy, and I had taken quite a beating this week. Like Frodo when he travelled to Mordor, I realised that my lumbar's bread and water was running out, and there seems to be no place that I can replenish my supplies. Another antagonising thing was this maze I am trying to get out of. I thought I had found my way out, but now it seems like it is not so. This door is almost shut, yet another door I did not expect had opened. However, the immediate way ahead of this second door is dark, though it looks promising a little further down the road. It was when I was contemplating all these that I saw White Bear, and thus led to the meeting with him.

Just like with the Eagle, the time spent with White Bear is as wondeful. As I emptied the jug of confusion and contemplation, he began to refill me with living water from the Lion's stream (it is another saying, John 7:38, that streams of living water with flow from within him who believes in the Lion). I don't think I ever told him (maybe I did at one of his birthdays, but I cannot remember) that the reason that I enjoy the time with White Bear was that he reminds me of the Lion. And unlike the donkey and the ape in "The Last Battle" by C.S. Lewis, this Bear would never claim to be the Lion, he just points people to Him, which was what he did tonight.

So after I got back to my cabin, I spent some time looking for the Lion in the records of the book on my left hand, and asked the Dove to be my guide. He pointed me to a familiar verse which goes like this,

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside still waters, he restores my soul.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The Dove guides and gives understanding. The Lion always points to the Story teller and proves that obedience is the key to the Story teller's heart. And the Story teller goes on inviting me to write this story with Him, no matter how difficult it seems.

Though there are many animals here, it is not animal farm we are writing.