As I stepped outside yesterday morning, this is the scene that greeted me. Several things came to mind from this one image.
First, the rising sun on a new day reminded me of Lamentations 3:22-23 where we are told that the Lord’s mercies and compassions are new every morning. Yesterday’s worries and troubles are now in the past. Not forever gone or necessarily resolved. But, today offers a chance for a new perspective and a new opportunity to trust in God to be at work helping me through them.
Second, as I looked at the long extended branches of the tree I was reminded of all the birds I have seen take refuge and rest there over the last 20+ years. I then reflected on Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” And also on Psalm 92:1, “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. “
Finally, my thoughts turned to today’s Worship Service where we will celebrate All Saint’s Day with a time of remembrance of those lost over the past two years. If you look close, that large tree with the extended limbs is now dead and will need to be taken down in the near future. However, if you look even closer you can see around the bottom of the trunk that there are several small shoots that are growing around it. They are in a sense a legacy of the tree that will soon be gone. The same is true of the loved ones we will honor and remember today. Their journey here on Earth may have ended, but they all leave behind a rich legacy of new growth in their family, friends, and others they touched throughout their lives.
For today:
May you see the mercies and compassions of the Lord.
May you find refuge and strength in his Presence.
May you remember loved ones in your life that are now gone with smiles and happy memories and live in a way to continue the goodness and love they shared with you while they were here.
AMEN.
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