An Autumn Epiphany

This morning I spent time in iChat with a young friend whose world has been turned upside down.  A widow at twenty-five, alone in a cold city far from home, she wonders if the long future ahead of her will only bring more disappointment and she questions God's purposes.  She would not be normal if she didn't have those fears and doubts.  She is too smart to settle for simplistic answers to life's complex riddles.  I suggested a wonderful church and a wise woman who is a priest there.

When she was ten years old, someone took a photo of us in front of the Altar of the church where I was her pastor.  I've kept it near the chair where I read my paper and say my prayers every morning.  If all the prayers I've prayed for her during these fifteen years were deposits in her account, she should have an impressive balance.  They are not deposits in that sense, but they are examples of the ways God uses the people in our lives to create intricate, complex structures, systems, and networks to work for our welfare in mysterious ways and at times when we are completely unaware.

Later in the day, I visited a retired priest who is in the hospital.  He told me that he had a lot of experience in dealing with the pain of others, but not much in dealing with his own pain.  He's been there through the years for so many people and now he needs to lean on us.  I pray that God will use us as a source of grace and comfort for him.

Leaving the hospital, I saw a bird's nest carefully attached to the limbs of a tree near the entrance.  I've passed it numerous times before but have never noticed it because it was hidden by the leaves of the tree.  It is autumn now and the leaves have fallen away, revealing this masterwork anchored there by a pair of birds to make a safe home for their young ones.

Seeing this nest and reflecting on my time with these two friends in need, this thought came to me:  Those sturdy gracious structures that nurture and protect our fragile lives are often hidden in verdant times, to be revealed to us only when the sky turns gray, the winds blow cold, and the days grow short.

If the Creator of all things makes such abundant provision for baby birds, how much more is in store for us!  We must never forget that by the grace of God there are others who are hidden from our sight but who are quietly working on our behalf, loving us through their prayers and hopes.