Lonely Leaves

Day 2 Doxology:  I received great response from yesterday's introduction to this year Lenten season.  I pray that I can keep up with the expectations!  Today's post is truly an image that I have seen over and over, but today was the first day I really saw it.  God is already changing my vision to see the hidden treasures all around.

It's no secret that some of mine and Shannon's favorite time through the years are the times when we collect our day's thoughts submerged in our hot tub. In addition to bringing closure for our day, I spend early morning time at The Gym then relax with a cup of coffee and a little water-jet massage.  It was at this moment that I happened upon today's doxology.

The definition of massage is the rubbing and kneading of muscles and joints of the body, esp. to relieve tension - exactly what I often need.  However, today my doxology moment came in the simplest of images and massage my mind and soul while releasing me from the tension of the world.

Pretty plain, isn't it?  Nothing fancy...Nothing flashy.  Just a limb of leaves.  Grouped together without the protection of other leaves to block the wind.  This lonely cluster reminded me of the prophet Jeremiah.  Maybe it reminded me of the Jeremiah and all the ways that it can be proven that he was in fact a Bullfrog, or maybe it reminded me of Jeremiah because the scripture that this weekend's Emmaus Lay Leader is using is Jeremiah 17:7-8.   That scripture is "But Blessed is the one who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.  They will be like a tree planted by the water that send out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."  The image you see is not leaves on a limb, on a tree, near the water, with roots by the stream.  In fact, what really made me think of the prophet was the way God blessed him to be strong enough to stand alone.

This is where you start thinking I expected a little more from him, but let me try a little harder.  We are called at times to, in boldness, stand alone.  The difficult balance for us, as Christ followers, is to live in the world without being of the world.  Without raising a crude voice; without accepting the criteria set by society; by loving our neighbor.  When we do these things then we can heed the words of our amphibian prophet and never fail to bear fruit!