Is it just me?

Or did you ever notice that the strangest things can be comforting? Like tomato cages? When I look over my fence and see that Alan, next door, is setting up his giant homemade Japanese lantern-like contraptions, I feel that things are a little more right with the world. It indicates we have come through another Colorado winter, another pseudo-spring (hey, I grew up with real springtime down south) and it's now time for planting the summer garden. Alan is still a Minnesota farm boy at heart. He knows about seasons, and weather, and patterns in life. He lost his wife a year ago, and yet he still sets up the tomato cages, because… it's time. That's just a really nice thing to me. Being reminded about patterns and life continuing on (pretty much on course) and knowing there are higher ways and higher thoughts involved (as per Isa. 55) kind of calms me down. Especially now, when there's lots of the new and unknown ahead in my life, and my kids' lives, my church (the pastoral shift,) etc. It would feel good to see some tomato cages in the spirit. Some funky little personal markers that say, "Season's changed. It's time to prepare for planting." Or, "Time to take the next step."

OK, God. I need for you to open my eyes. Open my ears. Thank you for the patterns. Let me learn from them. Let me be comforted and give me understanding.