Autumn thoughts

I was sitting at breakfast, enjoying a rare, cloudless morning sky and wrote these. enjoy.

With a stiff blast over many hours
You’ve blown clean and fresh
Into our sunrise today.
Bar trees stand against
A chilly blue sky.
Ah, late autumn!
Our soggy ground has a respite
To breathe.
The gloomy grey clouds part
To reveal the blue sky
Which was there all along.
Oh, Lord of both blue skies and storm clouds,
Teach me to live in the reality
Of your ever-present hope as
Seen in the blue sky…
Even when all appears gloomy
Let my heart exult in the veracity
Of Your hope.
Ever fresh.
Ever true.
Ever present.
________________________________

Quietly, sodden in the grass
The big maple leaf lies.
Its journey is not yet over.
What began last winter
As a bud on a branch…
Waiting…
Waiting….
Until spring’s warmth and the Creator’s signal came
For growth and coming into the light.
And so, the leaf unfurled and stretched
Toward the sun.
Faithfully conveying nutrition and light to the
Trunk and enhancing the life of the tree.
Now, the task completed,
The season over,
The leaf obediently casts itself to the earth.
Now awaiting its one last task;
Enriching the earth beneath its tree.
A full cycle
Lived correctly and faithfully
Caused benefit and growth to the life of the tree.

always new...

As we put together the photos for our son's wedding last month, it really made me reflect, with gratitude, about all the years of love, fun together and hilarious moments we always tried to capture with the camera. I think the photos we included in the slideshow gave a realistic picture of the kind of kid he was. LOTS OF FUN!! i could tell that people enjoyed the humour of his approach to life as the photos went by- a double joy!!
Here's the irony of parenting that also struck me. Just when you begin to get familiar with your children's particular character, the era of intense parenting is over! Just when you begin to feel some 'groove' developing...poof! its done!
But here's the best part! Just when that is over....and by all means grieve that part being over...a new part begins!! While i'm an experienced mom of toddlers, school aged kids- mine anyway- i am a complete naked and ignorant newborn at parenting adult kids! See? a new adventure!!
Rather than bemoan all that is past- lean into the new adventure! Parenting is never over- ahem, that's a good thing- don't you roll your eyes- i see you!! :P
But so far, i really like this part- making friends with your children- learning how to reign in that motor-mouth like advice until asked- oh i am still just dreadful at that!! But i'm sure i will learn, gradually, as God teaches me...and i listen to the wisdom of my friends with grown kids. Bit by bit- they've never been adults before either, so we will get the hang of it together. we will forgive often. we will laugh at our mistakes (i hope) and learn to see our humanness with more grace and kindness than they could muster (or i could?) when they were teenagers.
Growing together- yes i like that. In a new and different way.
In our Lord's economy, there's always newness, freshness and adventures. i kind of like that.
May our God grant you wisdom, in whatever era of parenting you are in, to both enjoy the journey and forgive yourself for being fallible. It happens and that's what God's grace is for, after all!
peace out!