These are my favorite color combinations - the colors of fall. On Friday morning as we were headed to receive our weekly produce distribution for the colonias, there was the most beautiful harvest moon of the year so far. It was so huge and close that it seemed as if a person could reach out and touch it. The Bible mentions the moon by name at least 19 times, not to forget the many times it is just referred to - that really makes it seem of great importance. "When I consider Your Heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars which You have set in place" (Psalm8:3) - this is when I am so awed by the magnificence of the Lord. The harvest moon, pumpkins, winter squash, little ghosts and scarecrows, candy corn, peanut butter kisses, and most of all pumpkin seeds. As a kid my mother used to clean out the pumpkins for carving, wash the seeds, and then roast them with salt - oh how wonderful they tasted, as this was the only time we ever got them. As we were returning from Progresso with friends yesterday, we stopped at the little fruit stand just over the border for a few mangoes - when I spied (much to my surprise) a small bag of roasted pumpkin seeds for $1. I immediately scooped them up and could hardly wait until we got home to try them. Actually, they were not too bad - a bit older and not so fresh, but really good. Guess I will see if I can find a pumpkin and roast my own!
As were driving in McAllen one day we ran into a huge swarm, whoops, I mean kaleidoscope of butterflies (a group of butterflies is officially called a kaleidoscope) - not the monarchs but small wee ones. I hated to think of how many were smashed by the whizzing cars as they made their way on their Southern migration. It was like a snowstorm in Wisconsin. We should be seeing the monarchs and the hummingbirds pretty soon as they, too , head for their winter homes. Almost forgot to mention the Winter Texans, also - we have to pick up the first of many at the airport next Saturday. Time to welcome back old friends and make new ones.
We were deep in prayer this week as the possibility of losing one of the girls we sponsor (along with her sister) who were in danger of being lost to us by being requested to return home by their mother. It was agreed that they could go home for a special visitation day, but need to return RIN the following morning. We prayed for their safe return, that they would not be lost to us forever (as we had no idea what their mother had in mind for them). Much later in the day than they were supposed to return, CHI Director Betsy called with tears in her voice that they were safely on the way back to the Haven. We are not trying to keep these precious children from their parents but just give them the opportunity for a chance in life, one much better than they would have living in the colonias and streets in Reynosa. Many folks ask why we do what we do at our age (we are not old, are we) instead of relaxing with a good book or movie, settled back in our recliner, enjoying the leisure time of our retirement. We do this because we are called by God to do so - not because we think we can change everything just that we can change one person at a time, perhaps not changing their circumstances, but changing their way of looking at their circumstances. We do this because of God's love for us so we in turn can tell others about His love for them - give them hope by making their paths a bit. smoother. We don't feel unrighteous or smug bout it, but certainly feel good about it when we receive a "God bless you" forrom those we serve. It is at this time we tell them that we are just the vessel - God is the one who loves them and uses us to provide.
Sunday church services this morning were filled with joyful music and love for God - just as David danced before God in praise and worship so should we. It was a great praise and worship time. Pastor Robert's sermon was a continuing one about our distinctiveness of being a Christian. We as Christians, live in faith: faith that Jesus was the Savior, that he was crucified for our sins, died, and was resurrected. How can that be, how can anyone conquer death??? To die, you must be human. What if He was not raised form the dead?? Then our faith is truly worthless. Death entered creation through Adam and Eve's sin. Sin leads anger, pain, worry, frustration (all human failings) which eventually lead to death. Jesus' resurrection gives us eternal life and saves us from eternal death. Death was conquered by the Cross and defeated by the resurrection to give us hope - a hope that reaches beyond the grave to Heaven forever.
Embrace this amazing season with all it's glorious colors of orange, brown, green and gold. (Whoops, green and gold, are those Green Bay Packer colors?). Enjoy the smell of the fall, and the scent of coming winter. Roast some pumpkin seeds!
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