Under the Banana Moon

The FoX learned this story about the meaning of Faith from his friend the KangaRoo.

Once, long ago, under a full Banana Moon,
The KangaRoo was hopping,
hoping to find some food.
He entered the Woods and positioned himself
So that the Moon shining above him
Seemed to be perched
High in the branches
Of the highest Tree.
Then he gazed through the Wood
And saw the moonlight path.
In walking it he found
That there were parts of the Wood
Where Shadows held sway
And many dangers were lurking
But as long as he kept to the track of the Moon
He was sheltered, and secure.

At length, the Moonlight brought him to a Tree,
On which hung a lovely Coconut,
The same lovely shape as the full Banana Moon.
He thanked the Moon for the gift of the Tree,
And the Tree for the gift of the Fruit.
Then he took the Coconut back to his home,
And ate, and was fulfilled.

A week or so later,
Under a Crescent Banana Moon,
The same KangaRoo was hopping,
Hoping to find some food.
He entered the Woods and positioned himself
So that the Moon shining above him
Seemed to be perched
High in the branches
Of the highest Tree.
Then he gazed through the Wood
And saw the moonlight path.
It twisted differently than it had under Full Moon.
The Crescent Path was narrower
And the darkness pressed in close.
But still, by following the narrowest of light,
He was safe, and he was secure.

At length, the Moonlight brought him to a Tree.
On which hung a lovely Banana,
The same lovely shape as the Crescent Banana Moon.
He thanked the Moon for the gift of the Tree,
And the Tree for the gift of the Fruit.
Then he took the Banana back to his home,
And ate, and was fulfilled.

A week or so later,
The Banana Moon had waned and dwindled,
So that she was not visible in the Sky.
Still the KangaRoo hopped and hoped,
Hoping to find some food.
He entered the Woods
And positioned himself
So that the boughs of the highest Tree
Were not even visible above him.
This is how dark it was.
He walked a path he could not see
Through dangerous, evil turns.
But a glow in his heart kept him safe and secure,
And he knew he was on the invisible path of the invisible Moon.

At length, this path brought him to a Tree,
Which was bare as Winter with no fruits or leaves.
Just the same as the sky with no visible Moon.
He thanked the Moon for the gift of the Tree
And the Tree for the gift of its Bareness.
Then he took the Bareness back to his home,
And ate, and was fulfilled.

In the childhood of our lives, the Moon is full and bright.
It is easy to believe in many wonderful things,
And we quickly learn the lesson that faith,
And obedience to the path laid out before us,
Will fulfill our every need.
But as the Moon begins to wane
And things seem ever more evil in the Wood
The confidence of many is shaken.
They avoid the wild places that surround their sheltered lives,
And deprive themselves of the Food that can be so readily found.
When the Moon is completely dark,
There are exceedingly few who walk its path.
There are even fewer who can be thankful,
As the KangaRoo was thankful,
When the invisible Moon gives us only invisible gifts,
And we have to be content, for a night, with Bareness.
But Bareness is a Gift just as Fullness is a Gift.
There are cycles in the Moon.
There are seasons in our Lives.
There is a Path to walk even when the Light's not clear.
The Provision of our God
Will Lead us to every Good and Healthful Thing.