"THE TRUTH IS..." The Joy Of Seasons
I'm in Louisville, Kentucky and the high temperatures for today are in the fifties. In the mountains of Virginia where I live the highs for today are in the forties. It is rainy and cold in Kentucky with the feeling of an early winter sneaking in to kill off the last remnants of Summer and the would-be colorful Fall. And while the emerging colors of autumn remind us of the joyous transition of the believer at his death, the earthly grave and the promise of resurrection in the Spring to come, we can revel in the work of the Holy Spirit that colored God's green earth with beauty in all its seasons. Winter is at hand - for sure - and it may just bypass Fall and Indian Summer and slide right into a white November. I would not be surprised. We used to have snow for Thanksgiving when I was a child, going to Grandma's for the holiday, right into Christmas and January. I could count on the schools being closed for two weeks in January every year because of the drifting snows. I do believe we will see this again, and it could come in the winter that is before us. Keep the Faith, however, the cold and the snow are a blessing from the Father in that they will kill the flu virus and the bacterial bugs that are left over from the heat of summer. The vaccines offered by men may or may not be entirely safe but God's cold snows bring a sure cleansing of the earth we walk on and the air we breathe. It is not difficult to see the Father in the earth. When we look at the wonders in the skies, the wonders in the mountains, the plains, the waterways and waterfalls, the trees, flowers, herbs, vegetables and the animal kingdom. But we see Him especially in the world of men who are made in the image of God, whether they believe or not, and in the color and beauty of the earth, whether men can see it or not. God gave the earth its color and beauty so we could see His wonderful works with our natural eyes. He gave us the Holy Spirit so we could see Him with our spiritual eyes. All we have to do to reap the blessings of both is - look - and believe! I am returning to the vast mountains of Virginia within the week and will be watching for the reds, yellows, oranges and browns of the dying foliage, the beautiful West Virginia and Virginia mountains covered in color so mixed, so vivid and so glorious one can only gasp at its promise of a new life to come. Joy fills the air as splendor fills the earth and if one listens carefully, with his spiritual ears, he can hear the choirs of heaven singing praises to the Creator and the goodness of His wisdom, and the welcome of His winter... Joan Krempel
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