Very early this morning, just past sunrise, when I was out walking in the park I took a little used side trail that took me down to the creek. I could hear the creek singing as it danced over the rocks as I made my way to a little grassy shelf alongside the creek where I could enjoy the song for a bit. As I stood there I noticed how well I could see the autumn color on the leaves still on the trees and how the bark seemed to sparkle with the dew. After a couple minutes of taking it all in I realized I could see well because so many leaves had fallen that the light was able to penetrate all the way to the trunk and branches of the tree. I thought of the leaves as the activity, the business, the life of the tree. When leaves fall from the tree, by season, or injury, or disease, the light of the world, the sun, shines on the bare branches. The tree doesnt race about, fret, or try, it just receives, takes in, absorbs the light, the light which brings healing, renewal, new leaves, new life. Think about a tree standing stark, exposed, stripped of all leaves, in the middle of winter, snow on the ground, on a crystal clear, cold cold day, so cold that the sun shining on it doesnt seem to make any difference. Its still cold and alone. But that sunlight is causing a change to take place inside the tree, invisible from the outside, but a change that in due season will bring new growth, new life, a new covering of leaves, new fruit, creatures finding rest in and under it, restoration. So it is for us. When the leaves have fallen, from sickness, wounded-ness, or advancing seasons; when the relationship is broken, when the job is lost, when its all falling apart, thats when its time to just stand still, be quiet, and trust that the light that came into the world is bringing healing and new growth and that spring always follows winter. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1: 4-5
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 21:38:13 +0000