All the leaves are gone now. The stark skeletons stand with arms outstretched bracing for winter. I like to think of them living in hope of the spring to come–much as we do on those days when our bodies give notice that they are subject to decay… Reminds me of those verses in Romans about all creation groaning waiting for God’s children to be revealed ‘and even we Christians, although we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, also groan to be released from pain and suffering. We, too, wait anxiously for that day when God will give us our full rights as his children, including the new bodies he has promised us.’
Mind you I can be a little melodramatic. An ache or pain here or there sets me thinking I must have cancer or some permanent disability. Then it passes. Oh. But when all is not well in my physical world it does give opportunity to reflect on our true home and the temporary-ness of this one. And that’s a sweet hope.
I noticed this sweet little tree as if for the first time now that it’s reduced to its skeleton. What a shapely beauty. There’s substance there beneath all the frill of foliage. May that be true of me too. Under the surface of appearances, may there be substance to weather the winter and burst out in beautiful foliage come ‘spring’ ( :
“For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over but the joys to come will last forever!”
Wow. That perspective just makes me smile inside. Hope it does the same for you!
–Linda
Romans 8:23; 2 Cor.4:17(NLT)