A Lone Hare...

Having recently finished making this silver pendant, I would like to share with you the experience from where the idea emerged!

There is something awe inspiring about hares and coming face to face with one is truly magical.

Two years ago, I came up close to a lone hare whilst we were walking on Ben More on the Isle of Mull. My then 15 year son and I had set off with our friend and his walking companion, who were both agile and experienced walkers. My son Louie and I are both pretty fit but there was a section where we had both got a little behind the others. It was a misty, grey day and suddenly, out of nowhere came this beautiful, brownish, greyish, large hare; bounding along at the rate of knots, coming straight towards us, presumably spooked by our walking friends up ahead. As soon as he saw us, he made an immediate change in direction, his long, powerful, hind legs propelling him up the mountain side. I stood motionless, following his movement with my gaze, trying hard to record the experience in my memory; knowing that if I took my eye off him for even a second I would surely miss it. The hare settled himself on a large black rock on the steep mountain side and gazed down at us. He was now silhouetted by the light behind him and I could no longer make out details but I knew he was watching us and we were watching him.

As he sat there, high on that rock I was reminded of the bible verse:

 “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” from Psalm 61:2; a plea to God from David to lift him from danger to a place of safety; from feeling overwhelmed to a place of vision and perspective; and from a place of despair to a place of hope and strength.

Hopefully, in our lives, we may never face the dangers David faced, however, we often feel overwhelmed and afraid. Sometimes, as for the hare, the perceived danger is worse than the reality: my son and I were certainly no threat! Whatever our circumstances, like David, we can cry out to God to lift us to a place where we can simply breathe, and stop; a place where we can see the full picture and receive the strength and vision we need to move on.