[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Monday, January 20, 2014

[Paul]

Well folks, as this is being written it's another Monday already.  Seems like it comes every seven days, but so do all the other days of the week.  Anyway I hope and pray that, by God's matchless grace and His providential care, that you all are doing well.

Rene Lackey is a writer from Texas, and today she wants to tell us her impressions about a particular tree or plant, whatever you call it.  Her submission is entitled "In Search of the Dogwood Tree" and is rendered as follows:

Through the majesty of a beautiful sunrise, or by the way a bird soars with grace over calm waters, I am often moved by the beauty God gives us to enjoy.

On a recent sabbatical to a cabin in East Texas, I sat beside the lake enjoying the quiet of the morning.  As the sun rose over the tree line, it seemed I was watching the world awaken.  As the morning birds began their musical masterpiece, the crickets, frogs, and other nighttime noisemakers began to fade.  I sat quietly and thought of all the fun my girls and I had experienced here in previous months.  As I reflected on all the pictures we had taken, I thought particularly of one my daughter took of a dogwood tree in full bloom.  Its delicate white blossoms caught her eye as they stood in contrast to the verdant splendor of majestic pine trees and lush, thick grass.

I walked to where I remembered the tree was and wondered if I would recognize it at all.  I don't know what a dogwood looks like without the flowers, I thought.  I soon realized that God was showing me a simple but profound truth:  even though I may not recognize the tree as a dogwood, that didn't change the fact that it is, in fact, a dogwood.  If others walked right past it without noticing its unique beauty and rare elegance it wouldn't change a thing.  Its Creator has no trouble recognizing it, nor was God impatient or disappointed that the tree was currently not displaying its full potential.

Dogwood trees belong to a family of botanicals referred to as deciduous, which means they lose their leaves every year in order to help them endure harsh conditions.  It is survival strategy.  The blossoms are not gone, they just lie dormant, essentially hibernating until harsh conditions pass.  The plant gets stronger each year, building on previous growth and preparing to be revived again in the spring.

It is human nature to desire for our beauty to be noticed and for us to want to reach our full potential, but like the dogwood tree, we also live through seasons.  Whether we find ourselves in the midst of a harsh winter or a dry spell, we can rest assured that we are easily recognized by our Creator who knows our full potential.  Find comfort in this truth.  God sees and knows you and, just as sure as spring follows winter with new surprises of life, a new season will be coming for you.  "Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old.  I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" (Isa. 43:18-19).

I realize God wants to bring comfort to my heart and calm my anxious thoughts about where I feel I fall short of what I've yet to accomplish.  God also desires that I would not be concerned with how others see me and not compare myself with the success of achievements of others.  Consider again the dogwood tree, standing confidently among the many tall pine trees.  There is nothing to compare.  They are all beautiful and majestic in their own way and they were content being what they were created to be.  And just like them, God calls us beautiful.

And there you have Rene's article, which I hope ministered to you today.  Last summer while at Beacon Lodge, fairly early one morning I decided to exit the cabin where I was staying with four other guys and just follow the railing around the main buildings that ran down to the bowling alley.  About midway in my walk I cross a little wooden bridge that traversed a small stream that was a tributary of the Juniata River, and just stood there listening to the gurgle of the water and the birds singing.  I recognized the call of a robin, chickadee and, I think, a cardinal.  During my reverie two other campers, Olivia from Holidaysburg near Altoona PA and Katie from Center City Philadelphia joined me, and we three had quite a conversation about nature and the upcoming day.  I'm not trying to advertise Beacon Lodge here, but you are definitely in the lap of nature when you go there.  It goes without saying that, Lord willing I'll be there come July.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Lord willing, tomorrow there will be another Daily Thought message for you.  And by the way, did any of you guess the answer to yesterday's poem yet? Your Christian friend and brother, Paul