Sunday, September 23, 2007

Trees


early in the morning a moment of quiet before I head to work.

I like to sit on my deck and look at my trees....
I'm not even sure what kind of trees they are
I know one is an oak, it's huge!

I Love the trees...my trees!

I Love looking at them in the summer so full, lush, varying shades of green.
Even in the winter when they are bare, there they stand.... stoic and strong.
In the spring they are covered with tiny buds....the hope of warm weather to come.

In the fall they become Paul's trees as they shed their leaves.
All ten million of them!!

Actually I don't mind so much
Raking can be very theraputic...and tiring...as well as muscle building or for those of us that are in the over 40 set, muscle paralyzing!!

I digress...

As I was sitting on the deck last week pondering the frailty of life
it ocurred to me that my trees withstand all kinds of hardships... rain,insects,birds,(woodpeckers) drought,wind, extreme cold.

Sometimes the wind snaps branches, the drought can certainly stress them... I could even cut one down, seeming to kill it but in time shoots would appear.

As I was thinking about the strength of my beautiful trees I thought of God.

Creator of all things

If you look for him.... he is everywhere... Just as my trees can withstand so much.

I can too.

He cares for the lilies of the field, he cares for my trees

and he cares for me.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Friendship

Oh, The comfort...the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person,
Having neither to weigh thoughts
Nor measure words...but pouring them
All right out...just as they are...
Chaff and grain together
Certain that a faithful hand will
Take and sift them
Keep what is worth keeping
and with the breath of kindness
Blow the rest away


Dinah Maria Mulock Craik