The Leaf

While in Zion National Park, John and I hiked what's called The Narrows, which is a story I'll tell later.  I just haven't had a chance to start working on all the beautiful photos we got while there.  Anyways, John went on ahead of me when we hit a deep section of the river.  He came back with a

 

yellow fall leaf that he'd found up stream that had found it's way down into the canyon. 

 

 

I took this picture of it because we'd been joking about the fact that there wasn't much fall color and I was disappointed we wouldn't get a lot of beautiful fall photos.  He placed it in the water and we watched it swirl away, continued on our trek back down river.  Sometime later, I'm trudging through knee-high water and just happened to look down.  And would you believe that little leaf had found it's way back to us...it was the exact one!  I commented we were meant to keep it, picked it up and took it with us.  I know there is something to learn in this... I keep looking at this leaf now placed in a picture frame hanging in our house. 

Life will send us down many different paths, sometimes we will question

our existence,

our purpose,

even our God. 

We will get snagged on branches, bumped into boulders, and buried under rapids.  But in the end we will find our way back to the One who set us on this course to begin with.  That is my hope and prayer for all those I love who have lost their way.

 

³ No one who hopes in you
will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
who are treacherous without cause.

⁴ Show me your ways, Lord,
teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.

Psalm 25:3-5 NIV

 

Our Hope

Little did I know how I would be tested when I said I was learning to let go a couple weeks ago.  My world has been turned upside down and letting go is all I can do.  I went out this morning with Frosty to find storm clouds on the horizon and thought about the storm brewing in my life and how fitting to see that view at that moment.  Like a distant storm, I don't know what's coming, I can't see how bad it will get. 

 

I headed back upstairs thinking it would be a dark and ugly day, but when I reached the apartment, there was a glow in the windows.  So, I opened the blinds to find the sun peaking through a hole in the clouds, and, there it was right in front of me. 

 

God's promise...

 

My hope. 

 

I'm in the heart of the city, surrounded by tall buildings, so I grabbed my camera went back outside to try to find the rainbow that I knew had to be there somewhere.  Well, it stopped raining and I couldn't find it, but I know it was there. 

 

Isn't that like God, we can't see Him, but we know He's there?  He will be there through our storms. I asked for strength to get through another day...and He provided.

Psalm 46:10  Be still and know that I am God.

I don't have to do anything...stop reacting, trying to control it, trying to fix it.  Just Be Still! 

 

He's our rainbow...

 

Our promise that all will be well.

Hebrews 11:1   Now faith is confidence in what we HOPE for and assurance about what we do not see.