Hello,
There are many beautiful places in this world, but among the most
beautiful are the hills of Western Pennsylvania in the fall. It is here where the green hills of
summer are slowly and softly donned with a quilt patched with every shade of
red, orange, gold, and brown.
Stitched to the roads, when one drives along these patches the leaves
flutter to the ground like goose down from a pillow. The sun sinks lower in the south softening the pinks and the
oranges of the sunset. The coats
of the deer darken to match the drying golden rod and grasses, and the geese
clear the clouds out of their way with their honking. It is beautiful.
But the gusting wind that snaps at your skin with a biting chill is a
stark reminder that these days are soon to be taken from us. The leaves will all be gone from the
trees, and the forests will look like lifeless sticks. The sky will darken earlier, and the
sun will hide in the southern skies and the cold will rush in. Snow will soon blanket the hills,
covering what was warm earthy colors with monochromatic white. Even the animals will virtually
disappear as they take cover from the harsh conditions ahead. There is a beauty to the hills of
Western Pennsylvania in the winter, but it is not a warm and welcoming
beauty. It is a chilling and stark
beauty.
It is at this cusp of seasonal change that I am reminded of an important
tenant of life and faith, and that is: enjoy the beauty while it is here. So often I find myself anticipating the
future, which in some cases surely will come with the coldness of winter, and
in so doing, I rob myself of the joy of the beauty that is all around me…the
beauty of the people in my life with which God has blessed me….the beauty of
the peace that comes with a quiet and warm star-filled night….the beauty of my
health that still propels me up steep hills as I walk my dog…the beauty of the
place I work that gives me a chance to impact people’s lives with God’s love
(remember, that is the Christian view of every occupation)…there is beauty all
around me!
Beauty, it seems to me, is a gift from God to be taken in and slowly
savored. It is at these times of
great beauty that I get a glimpse of the wonder and grace of God, wonder and
grace that the cold world tries to hide from my eyes. And if I have savored the beauty of the wonder and grace of
God, I find that the taste of that beauty lingers….lingers into the cold and
harsh seasons of life…carrying the reminder of the wonder of grace that is
still with me though the winds blow harsh. It is this lingering taste of beauty that transforms the
ugliness of a man, Jesus, hanging on a Calvary cross, turning that ice cold day
into a day that we have named “Good Friday”. And with lingering beauty that sticks to our bones, the
clammy, musty, flesh-rotting stench of every grave is overpowered by the
marching of Jesus feet on a day that we have named Easter.
Surrounded by nearly unparelelled beauty, I am reminded to soak it in
while it is here…..and reminded that when the cold weather hits, there is one
who will be there …still warming me with the wonder and awe of his love and
mercy….and that, too, is beautiful.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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