HOW GREAT THOU ART

 HOW GREAT THOU ART

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

02/IX/2022

 

            I was studying in class eighth or ninth many-many moons back. School Annual day was round the corner. Plethora of activities would take place at our home. Cadets reciting poetry, someone practicing dialogues for a play performance. That play was written and directed by Dad. Makeup was Mom’s specialty. Special effects by yours truly.

 

            In that play, there was a war scene between India and Pakistan. Our village was surrounded from all sides by the enemy. Villagers were desperately trying to contact the Army to rescue them. That’s when an enemy radio operator carrying his radio set, badly injured, fell flat infront of the folks gathered to discuss defence of the village and preventing it falling into enemy hands.

 

            As the wounded enemy soldier fell, there was commotion in the trees. Birds took off screeching as if they understood the consequences of war. Bird calls were mimicked like we ‘cat called’ the teachers, cupping our mouths and holding our noses and making squeaky noises.

 

            A ‘wireless radio’ had been borrowed from the local Army unit for the play. We would switch it on, pass all sorts of messages and make sure that there was a lot of ‘mush’ by using the ‘squelch’ on-off button.

 

Like teachers used to twist our ears, we would do the same to the frequency knob to make whiny sounds. When those sounds went through an amplifier, the effects gave the real feeling of war communication. Our Forces heard our calls and arrived.  Our village was saved.

 

            Piercing sound of birds were making, caught my attention. Cheeen, Chuueeeen, cheen cheen choooon…. I stood for a while and recollected the scenes of that play. It was such a hit and was performed for our ‘House Social’ of which Dad was the House Master. Inspiration was drawn from a visit to a Pakistani village near Attari-Wagha border on a school trip in early 1972.

 

This morning as I walked in the garden, I saw a bird entering a clump of Champa leaves where it was nesting. Birds around were at their noisiest best. Was their prime enemy on the prowl? A cat it was. Our bird called for help and the birds in the vicinity reacted to its call. I thanked God for the nest and shooed the cat away. What came to mind were the lines of a hymn called “How Great Thou Art”.

 

It took me some time to understand the design of their nest. It was a lesson in siting defences. They had turned and twisted the leaves to keep the rain & sun away. The ‘fly in’ route was not direct. Even if a predatory bird wanted to get in, it would not find direct access.

 

Cats would avoid it, as it was located on a precarious overhang. However, it had a bird’s eye view of the surrounding area. Some bird brains were at work, like ours, when we were deciding on how to defend our village in the play. Army came to our rescue in the play. Here the birds amplified the anti-cat alarm for me to reach & save the situation.

 

Reminded me of when the ELLIS’ who sung ‘How Great Thou Art’ on one of the school's annual day programme. Dad, Mom, Joel, my younger brother (God Bless their souls) and me.

 

Let me quote one stanza from the hymn

 

Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

 

Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art……….

 

Indeed, nostalgia set in. The sound of the birds, the squeak of the radio set and criteria to make their nest safe was akin to how to select defensive positions for our village to keep the enemy at bay.

 

The creator needs to be praised by saying ‘How Great Thou Art’? Indeed, He is beyond wonder!!!!!!!!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc0QVWzCv9k

 

JAI HIND

© NOEL ELLIS