Life Cycle of an Acorn
Covenant
Fallen
Insignificant
Overlooked
Downtrodden
Worthless
The end
Yet…
Buried deep within…
Promise
In the Creator’s care…
Resting
Inside a hard exterior…
Tenderness
A kernel of hope…
Faithfulness
In the darkness…
Rebirth
A loving plan…
Renewal
Seen by the Maker…
Covenant
In the beginning…
Blessing
As I bend my knee,
I bend my heart.
I lean into You.
As you bless me,
I yield to You.
I surrender my plans.
As some call me weak,
I lay aside my burdens.
I trust Your strength.
As things fall apart,
I am at peace.
I rest in Your care.
As the darkness comes,
I am held in Your hands.
I do not fear.
As I am liberated,
I wonder at Your power.
I am free to be.
As the world thinks
I am broken down,
I am broken open.
Humility
In the winter of my soul,
I slipped into darkness--
A gap of uncertainty.
Just one of many
Searching for the Light.
Once I was sky high,
Gloriously looking down
On the world below--
Self-reliant and carefree.
Now, do You see me?
Perhaps my crevice of despair
Is a cleft of protection?
Sheltered as a chick under a wing
Relying more on You
And less on me.
Here You will peel away
My proud exterior,
Giving me a safe place to grow,
Where reliance on You
Brings peace and calm.
In the darkness,
I become smaller
For You to be greater.
I feel the warmth of Your presence
Even when I cannot see the Sun.
When I emerge
From my cocoon of care,
I am no longer the same.
In humility, made low.
In Power, exalted.
Turning my eyes to the Sun
I remember that
Restoration starts in the abyss,
Where the shine of pride finally dims.
Creation begins in the dark.
Hope
Tiny green tendrils poke out
The first ray on the horizon
A twig in a robin’s beak
Tulips slowly opening
The chatter of squirrels
Hope comes in the morning
First there is darkness
An obstacle insurmountable
An affliction incurable
A task impossible
A foe unbeatable
For who hopes for what one sees
The cracks let in the light
Breaking away
Breaking down
Breaking open
Breaking free
Plans to give you hope and a future
Then a glimmer of what could be
Inspiring endurance
Renewing strength
Holding unswervingly
Sustaining faithfully
Hope is in His unfailing love
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
Introspection
What the world sees of me
Can be prickly and course
On guard to keep others out
Defenses to prevent despair
Other parts of my hard shell
Are made smooth from years of conflict
Like a stone worn down by
Turning in turbulent waters
My exterior is my protection
Yet when I allow You to crack open
My strong outer defenses
Inside is a seed longing to be freed
You created me with divine purpose
But I cannot see Your perfect plan
Without peeling away the layers
The world has forced to harden
Desperately I need the
Wind of Your spirit to break me
Free from my old attachments
Moving me to a place of growth
From where I now rest
Humbled by my station
You will nourish me
Stronger than before
And the gift of living water
Will cause my soul to swell
And my fruitfulness to grow
Until I can hide it no longer
I will be transformed
No longer the same
The legacy of generations
Creation made to create
Obedience
How does the sapling know which way to grow?
Does it question why it has to be so?
Does it offer its own suggested advice?
Does it provide its own plan that should suffice?
Does it aimlessly ramble with no place to go?
Does the sprout pout when it cannot run the show?
No, the sapling is obedient in all of its deeds.
Obedient to seek the nourishment it needs.
Obedient to stand firm in the winds of strife.
Obedient to the connections required for life.
Obedient to the warmth of the shining Sun.
Obedient to its design by the Holy One.
For the depth of our roots
Sets how high we can shoot.
Devotion in darkness makes us able
To grow strong, sturdy, and stable.
Diligent in the work others do not see;
Leaning into who we are created to be.
Realizing we are no longer the same,
Ready to go by a different name.
For we may have free will, you see;
Yet God’s way alone truly will free.
Resurrection
In the feathered nest
Exhausted chicks emerge
Tiny squeaks of struggle
Discarded protective shell
Freedom to fly
The cocoon is safe
Yet still dark
Struggle in seclusion
Makes new wings
Strong enough to survive
Compression in the canal
Liquid leaving lungs
The breath of life
Breaks forth with a wail
Entering the unknown
Bulbs planted deep
Time in solitude
Prevents desiccation
Buried in darkness
Raised to new life
A body broken
A mother’s lament
The darkness descends
A cry of anguish
It is finished
An empty tomb
Discarded cloths
Breakfast on the beach
A familiar voice
It has begun
No reward without challenge
No strength without struggle
No new life without pain
No resurrection without loss
No beginning without ending
At the branch’s tip
A new bud emerges
The cycle begins again
Creation exclaims Alleluia
Revel in the wonder
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19
Alleluia
Opening a new book
Warm chocolate chip cookies
First sips of a hot beverage
First dips in a cool pool
Snow days
Walking into Granny B’s kitchen
College acceptance letters
The last day of school
The first day of school
Belly laughs
Crossing the finish line
A new bird at the feeder
Seafood fresh from the ocean
Clothes fresh from the dryer
Walk-offs
Finding the lost LEGO piece
Light through stained glass
Knowing every word to a song
Knowing every line on a face
Mountain vistas
Turning the double play
A letter from an old friend
Freshly mowed yards
Freshly popped corn
Season premieres
Sinking the long putt
Pine straw on forest floors
Crescent moons
Crescent rolls
Sea breeze
Listening to wind chimes
Candy in a glass dish
The color of blue in the sky
The color of blue in their eyes
Encores
Ordinary is Extraordinary.
Alleluia!