Thursday, September 9, 2010

Comforted

This afternoon I "had to" run an errand to my stomping grounds of yesteryear. It turned out to be a surprise gift, to drive home on the narrow roads winding through foothills where the sweetness of oak trees filled the warm air. Dark grapes were hanging close to the ground in the vineyards, soaking up the last of the sweetening rays. And wild fennel way higher than my head lined the roadsides.

All these scents and more combined over the half hour's drive in ever-changing proportions to create a soul's real comfort food. I had only recently been grieving the loss of a nice garden, breadmaking, my wits, and several other things I couldn't even put my finger on. Today it was as if God through the instrument of Summer put His arms around me and said, "It's o.k., Honey, the best parts of your Life That is Past remain, and will be here for you in the future." And Summer was telling me that she is going to sit a spell yet and likely give me a few more hugs.

13 comments:

hill said...

I can tell you have a rich relationship with God. No detail is overlooked by Him. As the prayer goes,

"We bless Thee, O God Most High and Lord of mercies, Who ever workest great and mysterious deeds for us, glorious, wonderful, and numberless."

Thank you for the reflection.

Pom Pom said...

Oh, yes, that's a sweet and personal song that summer is singing to you!

elizabeth said...

:) nothing is ever lost. and in Christ we will never be lost.

hugs as fall comes; may it come gently and with hope

margaret said...

Beautiful. I like vines. Someone has planted some near my college, poor things, they don't do well in Scotland.

It is good to know that the Past hasn't completely gone but an easy thing to forget so... thank you.

M.K. said...

Grapes and fennel! What wonderful scents and sights you have out there! It's so true that we are comforted deeply in nature. I think we are comforted by nature in unique ways, that even friends can't comfort us. Perhaps a reminder that we are of the soil itself. I love birdsong and breezes for this purpose.

Kari of Writing Up A Storm said...

Your blog post was perfect for me today ~ just the title comforted me! I have felt so worried about current events of late. Perhaps the chaos in my house at the moment is making it harder for me to hold onto faith, hope, and any kind of calmness. Thank you for giving me such lovely words and images today!! xo Kari

Leslie said...

Your post made me think of the verse, "Be still and know that I am God." I'm encouraged by the comfort God has given you. He has comforted me of late, too. It is sweet and needfulp medicine to the soul.

Jeannette said...

I like how your flower picture shows the power lines too. I am always so tempted to crop out visuals that I don't like...and then that tendency undoubtably flows into other aspects of life.
But we need the power, we need the declines, the wilting flowers, the slowing days, the less sharp wits.
And you have so sweetly shared this reminder.

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

What a wonderful, uplifting post!

Gumbo Lily said...

God is so personal and knows just how to touch our hearts. Pretty late-summer scenes and thoughts.

Jody

Anita said...

God does provide the real comfort food that we need. Poetic words.

Mark said...

Thanks for a truly lovely & contagious reflection. And I'm glad I did a double take on that last photo. At first I didn't see the bee, and then I saw how the fence boards reflect the power lines and the hedge rows in the background. You have a remarkable eye. For me, true art is simply facilitating the realization of what's there, and this is true art.

MKM said...

Did you take that second photo? It is beautiful!! I think I often long for an "enriching" outdoors here in my urban world. I will have to start looking for other signs of comfort from God... I know they are here!