I love the sound of trains.
We don't live close to a railway line, but a few kilometers away there is a train track that works every so often. While I am often sitting at my computer, I hear the sound of the wheels and the horn - which happens when the wind is pushing in just the right direction.
It is a strange thing, this train sound.
I don't travel on trains, but I have a sense of the sound of trains.
it reminds me of my grandparents house - they lived next door to the train track and we would go to them on Sunday afternoons, for a Sunday lunch.
We would sit in the kitchen around a big table (they did not have a dining room) and we would eat burnt custard and jelly and then the train would pass by. And no one would hear it, but we would all hear it, unconsciously.
And then there is the most scrumptious memory that I have of train tracks and sounds. The sound of England, is the sound of a train. England was the very first place I ever traveled on a train and I loved it. I have been to the U.K. so many times that I guess now, trains are a part of the memories.
The easiness of train traveling and the exciting feeling of passing between county's while the greenery rushes by, shoo what a spirit - satisfying memory.
I am learning something about memories these days. Sometimes people dwell only on the negative memories. They are besotted with the hurting, painful, woe is me type memories that seem to follow some around. But I have learned about the redemption of memories. While I may not have had a close relationship with my paternal grandparents, I still have wonderful memories of those Sunday lunches and my memories have been redeemed.
We are called to stand and enjoy our memories and to allow the light of our memories to shine forth through Yeshua's Mighty Hand.
While I may not understand my love of train sounds, I ultimately enjoy this sound and when I can, I stop and listen to the sound of the horn and the rushing steel. As a poet I find that many of my poems feature trains or even centre around train stories. I love this!
One final memory of my train journey - a few years ago my husband and I took a trip on one of the last remaining stream trains around. Within 20 minutes I was sound asleep, although the train ride was suppose to a be a scenic trip through lakes and groves. I can honestly say - there is no sleep for me, like a lulling train riding sleep!
So for now I am enjoying the sound until the next train ride and God is redeeming my memories and filling them with joy that is indescribable!