I Awoke to the Moon

Faith, Family, God, Gratitude, Literature, Nature 1 Minute
The Waning Gibbous Phase

I awoke to the moon shining through the trees and studied it with delight in the cool Sunday morning breeze. I felt God with me. My mother and my dog Rain, too. No longer here. But vividly here. In my heart.

Great are the works of the Lord;
They are studied by all who delight in them.
         Psalm 111:2

The Lord created the world. That thought alone boggles the mind. His works are great. I will study and delight in them.

This spring semester, I’m studying William Wordsworth’s epic poem, The Prelude. According to my syllabus, “it is often said that The Prelude represents the true beginning of modern literature.” Book One depicts the poet from his youth, studying and delighting in the works of the Lord. Wordsworth never directly credits God, but he contemplates nature—the time of year, the warmth of the day, the placement of the sun in the sky, the color of the clouds, the illumination of the ground, and the peace of his surroundings—in connection to his own place in the world. 

‘Twas Autumn, and a calm and placid day,
With warmth as much as needed from a sun
Two hours declined towards the west, a day 
With silver clouds, and sunshine on the grass,
And, in the sheltered grove where I was couched
A perfect stillness. On the ground I lay
Passing through many thoughts, yet mainly such 
As to myself pertained…(74-81).

Wordsworth provides a basic lesson of gratitude in his appreciation of small pleasures, and in this case, the world’s beauty. God resides in His creation, and like Wordsworth, we can find God’s peace if only we stop long enough to see and breathe in His presence in the world. Through a meditative pause and an eye on divine creation, Wordsworth found inspiration, hope, and a soothing balance in his life, and so will we.

…Thus long I lay
Cheared by the genial pillow of the earth
Beneath my head, soothed by a sense of touch
From the warm ground, that balanced me…(87-90).
Taste and see that the Lord is good; 
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him…
                                                Psalm 34:8

Published by Crystal Byers

When I was young, my dad would always say, "Crystal, you can choose your attitude." One day I chose to believe him.

Published

27 thoughts on “I Awoke to the Moon”

    1. I had to look up “Taste and See,” and now it’s stuck in my head. 😂 And the English teacher in me would love to read your senior thesis. I’m sure I’ve read some Wordsworth from time to time, but the only one I remember is “I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud” and my heart dancing with the daffodils. In my short recent study, I can see why he would be a fave.

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  4. Happy snowy Sunday morning. Years ago my first grade neighbor told me she and her friends built a snowman bigger than a grown up and bigger than God. I thought about what she said. Sometimes our feelings pile up like the snow but in time God will melt the snow and everything is new again. It’s good to have a first grader for a friend. Have a good day. Jerry

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  6. Wonderful the connection between Wordsworth and the Divine Poet, and even more satisfying yet, you notice it and celebrate it for all to enjoy.

    Indeed, Crystal, one of the “small pleasures” that give life its tempo. Evocative too, when we recognize each piece as being vital to constructing the resplendent mosaic.

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  8. This reminds me of conversations I have when people will say they never experience seeing God and ask where to look. I am often tempted to say, there’s nowhere you need to look just open your eyes and see with your heart.

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  10. Thank you for sharing!!.. as the universe knows, I think everyone has the right to believe how they wish… I am not into religion or ideologies myself, I just follow my heart… 🙂

    Until we meet again..
    May love and laughter light your days,
    and warm your heart and home.
    May good and faithful friends be yours,
    wherever you may roam.
    May peace and plenty bless your world
    with joy that long endures.
    May all life’s passing seasons
    bring the best to you and yours!
    (Irish Saying)

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  13. What an amazing post Crystal, how you wove together Wordsworth and the Psalms, a gift. Holding you in prayer at this difficult time. I remember so clearly after the death of my Mom, how the goodness of life pulling kept at my grief, and I couldn’t turn away. All my best to you, C

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    1. “How the goodness of life keeps pulling at my grief.” There is joy in the sorrow. I keep learning things from my friends who have traveled this road before me. I hope I am able to pay it forward as well. Thank you, Cheryl.

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