I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.” Ephesians 3:16-17
It was a one-of-a-kind day. If we graded days like meat it would have been USDA Grade-A Prime. This Grade-A day actually started the night before. I sat on the porch and watched the moon rise, picture framed by Jupiter and Saturn. Just a few minutes later a magnificent falling star streaked across the sky. We had some smooth jazz music playing but turned it off in favor of the symphony of nature sounds that were playing. Crickets, tree frogs, cicadas, and a hoot owl all played their song in perfect harmony.
Then came morning. I love fall. The cooler air and the absence of the “air-you-can-wear” makes me a happy camper. On the morning of this USDA Grade-A Prime day, it all came together. The sun slowly turned night to day as it pulled back the curtain of darkness and allowed the light to come out and play. We had a great time at church, followed by a lunch of good old Kentucky Fried Chicken with all the fixins’s—mashed potatoes and gravy, baked beans, cole slaw and biscuits. For dessert I had a nice Sunday afternoon nap. It was a great day.
After getting up from my Sunday slumber we decided to go gatoring. What is gatoring? Well, first I made it up. Second, it is taking a ride through the woods in a John Deere Gator. It is a two or four wheel drive vehicle that allows you to go most everywhere without getting stuck. So, off we went. The first thing we noticed was the trees seemed to be changing colors right before our eyes. Peeks of yellow and red could be found on every tree. The trail was covered with leaves that had already fallen from their lofty heights.
As we pressed on we saw squirrels scurrying in the forest bottoms. The ground was covered with hickory nuts and they were busy gathering them to get ready for winter. We stopped at one spot along the trail to watch a wild turkey. I don’t know if the fact that Thanksgiving is getting close or not but she took off pretty quickly. I mean it wasn’t like Judy started mixing up dressing or anything.
The prettiest colors came from an unlikely source. Poison Ivy. The forest floor was literally covered with it. Almost every tree had more than one vine growing up its side. The leaves, normally a rather ordinary color of green, were busting with colors of red and yellow. Judy and I both wondered how something that could cause so much discomfort on your skin could bring so much wonder to the eyes. Amazing indeed.
We came to a large lake and stopped for a moment. I said to Judy, “All we need now is for an eagle to swoop down and grab a fish from the lake.” Just moments after the words left my lips two adult eagles in all their glory—-heads hooded in white as were their tail feathers and a large massive body and wingspan—launched from a nearby tree. They didn’t grab a fish as they glided over the lake but they didn’t need too—I was already impressed beyond words.
As they glided over the water away from us and out of sight, we moved on and too soon we were back at the house. I looked at Judy and said for what seemed like the 10th time. “Judy, what an incredible day.” And what made it so incredible wasn’t all that we had seen—oh, no, it was the incredible Creator behind it all. Every smallest detail was made by Him and that day, well, it seemed it was all just for us.
I know I say it a lot but let me say it again. In this crazy, upside-down world where the tiniest of germs cause the greatest fear, where injustice has divided our nation and where the word “indivisible” in our pledge almost seems out of place—in this world—there is still hope. It is not a time to give up—it is a time to press on. It is not a time to quake in fear, it is a time to stand in faith—not faith in ourselves but faith in Him who made it all.
The Bible encourages us to trust in the One who rules it all. It tells us to rest in the fact that the Son of God who died for the sins of the whole world wants to make His home with us and in us. How amazing is that. But the best part is that it tells us to sink our roots deep into His love. You see a root draws up whatever it is tapped into—in this case—that is the love of God. And you know…that is exactly what we and the world need—His love. So the next time a Grade-A Prime Day shows up—enjoy it, rest in it because He made it with you in mind. As His child you need to know He is real partial to you so rest in Him. Oh, and never forget, He’s got this.
Grits with Grace 