Welcome Home

Opening my front door, I saw that Fall packed up and left town early.  It seems that in Cody, at least, Winter has moved back in!  I just listened to the weather forecast through the weekend, and it sounds like we had better get used to it...

I saw the strangest thing yesterday.  I was next to the old library turning on to Main Street, and I saw the tree on the corner shed its leaves...still green...all at once.  It was raining green leaves.  And I looked up and down the street and saw that all of the corner trees on Main Street were doing the same thing. 

I thought to myself 'now there is something that you don't see everyday' so I pulled over and watched.  In the space of about an hour all of those trees lost every one of their green leaves.  It is almost as if they got a taste of the cold and the snow and decided that they were out of here, packed up and left!

My husband noticed the same thing across town.  He said that it was probably because those trees are not indigenous to this country, so they couldn't stand up to an early taste of winter, which is not (sorry to say) an uncommon thing here.  I noticed that the aspen trees still have all of their leaves.  But all of the corner trees on Main Street are now completely bare.

Do you suppose that is the way that we are, when we find ourselves out of the center of the will of God for our lives?  It could be due to sin, or just plain old rebellion and wanting our way instead of God's...but when I am not where I am supposed to be with God I am just like those poor trees.  I may seem fine when life is balmy and good, but a cold blast of trouble shows me that I cannot handle life on my own.  Suddenly I see that my way is the wrong way, and God's way is ALWAYS the right way.  When I am in the center of God's will the cruel blast of cold may still come, but God gives me the strength to handle it.  I can keep my leaves!

Jeremiah 17:7-9 reads:

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

For he shall be as the tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

Just as a tree should be indigenous to its native area, we as Christians need to be indigenous to the center of the will of God for our lives.  We can stray outside of our region, and maybe seem to be ok for a while.  But I have found...and this is a lesson hard learned...that you will never flourish unless you stand where God puts you.  Sin brings pleasure for a season...but woe to you when the season is over and winter arrives! 

Thankfully, we have a God that does not despise a broken and contrite heart.  If you are a Christian, getting back to where you are supposed to be with God is as simple as only Jesus Christ can make it.  Repent, and go back to where you belong by obeying God. I have found that He is always there to welcome you home!  DLB