Shade Tree Wisdom 11/17/09

The morning is cold, nice for walking to get the blood flowing and into the day, which is my Natal Day. (Well, I’ve been telling you that, haven’t I?)

So, what has my earthly pilgrimage taught me for this day? Well, I was whistling this morning and the youngster waiting for the bus said, “You sound happy”. I said, “Today is my birthday.” He said, “Congratulations, where were you born?” I hedged a bit and said, “In a log cabin in Wisconsin”. “Wow”, said he ” [it was not a log cabin, but a fasch house, but I said ‘log’ because he wouldn’t know what the other was.]

One thing I learned is that I can really trust the Lord. “The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27,1. By God’s grace He has allowed me to walk that way, in trust and in faith.

Life is full of unexpected twists and turns, events I did not anticipate, yet lived through. I think often of Jesus’ birth. I am sure Mary and Joseph would have been better served by family if they had been home when the birth happened. But the Hand of government decreed that they travel to Bethlehem, where they knew nobody, and there their first child was born. In a stable. And finally it worked for our salvation . It happened, not as Joseph and Mary had planned at home, but in Bethlehem, as the prophets had said it would. Because that was God’s plan. “That the Scripture might be fulfilled”.

I find for the most part people are kind and want ot be helpful. One time Ruth asked me to pick up some special herb she needed to make a dish. I couldn’t find it and a fellow shopper asked what I was looking for. So she helped look, and before we found it, 5 lady shoppers were lending a hand. And we all enjoyed my success in finding the item.

It happens too if I shop groceries early. When I leave Rush Haven I connect with Flintridge which leads to the main roads out, and that is always a line of cars. I have a stop sign, but someone always stops and waves me into the line. Helpful people.

So with this Shade Tree Writing. I have a weblog on which my writings appear, and that happens because my granddaughter puts them on.

Which reminds me of the changes I have seen, from infant radio to the marvels of the internet, e-mail, facebook. I remind people that our generation – the generation you look on as the ‘old fuddy-duddies’ invented this stuff for you to develop and use. It saddens me that so much is being misused or badly used. Shows that the devil is still active and uses anything at hand for his nefarious work.

I’ve also learned to enjoy the moment. Glad to have this time, without always worrying it might not last, or fearing the future, for God is in the common things too.

And, when things do look bleak, to lean on Him always. Reading Habakkuk makes this clear. He was complaining to God, when the lord told him disaster would come, he ends up saying, Habakkuk 3:17-19 (KJV) 17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

All for now. I may continue these ramblings at a later date. God bless and keep you in His tender care.

GPD 11/17/09