The Butterfly Bush

 Just as the floodwaters carved out a new landscape in my backyard, the tide of fear, shock, sadness, and anger that followed carved out a new reality for me. Life is different now. In some ways, it will never be the same again.

The pictures above were taken in our yard on 8/27/2011 - the afternoon before Irene arrived.  This is our yard just 4 days later...The force and power of the water was incredible...

I was thinking today about Noah's flood...how incredibly powerful that must have been. Imagine the fear that filled Noah's heart as the rain pelted the ark and all living creatures outside perished. Imagine the faith, as he waited in the ark for the waters to dry up. Imagine the hope that welled up in his heart when that dove returned with an olive leaf!

Imagine the mud they must have stepped into when they exited the ark!

I found my "olive leaf" today -- a single, straggly stalk of green. It had been badly battered by the power of the flooded creek;  power that had downed trees, moved trucks, relocated boulders and bridges, had even moved houses off their foundations. It had stolen away large chunks of grass and yard, plants and flowers. Yet here, on the very edge of the eroded lawn, still rooted in the earth where I had planted it just this spring, reaching toward the sun, was my butterfly bush -- the survivor. This little bush not only hung onto its scrap of dirt - it waited until the waters receded and then mustered up all its strength to produce -- a blossom. A beautiful purple flower. Promise of another season to come, when all the debris will be finally cleared, grass will be planted, and (I promise) there will be new butterfly bushes planted alongside my survivor to keep him company....

 Irene may have taken much, but I am finding so much more that she has given. But that is the subject of another blog.....

Today is a new day. Tomorrow is a new tomorrow. I will hope, trust, stand, and reach toward heaven, and rooted firmly in the soil of my Father's garden, I will blossom, just like my little butterfly bush.

"For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." Revelation 7:17

Indescribable

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Happy Valentines Day

God's Valentine to us: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" John 3:16,17.

GOD IS SO GOOD

The Table Cloth The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned  to their first ministry, to reopen a church  in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October  excited about their opportunities. When they saw  their church, it was very run down and needed  much work. They set a goal to have everything  done in time to have their first service On Christmas Eve.  They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls,  painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead Of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving  rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days.  O n the 21st, the pastor went over to the church..  His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the  sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about  head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor,  and not knowing what else to do but postpone  the Christmas Eve service, headed home.  On the way he noticed that a local business was  having a flea market type sale for charity so he  stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful,  handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth  with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross  embroidered right in the center. It was just  the right size to cover up the hole in the front  wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.  By this time it had started to snow. An older  woman running from the opposite direction was  trying to catch the bus.. She missed it. The pastor  invited her to wait in the warm church for  the next bus 45 minutes later.  She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor  while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put  up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor  could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and  it covered up the entire problem area.  Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. 'Pastor,' she asked, 'where did you get that tablecloth?' The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check  the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into  it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had  made this tablecloth 35 years before, in  Austria  The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor  told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The  woman explained that before the war she and  her husband were well-to-do people in Austria .  When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave.  Her husband was going to follow her the next week.  He was captured, sent to prison and never saw her  husband or her home again.  The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth;  but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do.. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in  Brooklyn   for the day for a housecleaning job.  What a wonderful service they had on Christmas  Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the  spirit were great. At the end of the service, the  pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door  and many said that they would return.  One older man, whom the pastor recognized  from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the  pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he  wasn't leaving.  The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on  the front wall because it was identical to one  that his wife had made years ago when  they lived in Austria before the war and how  could there be two tablecloths so much alike.  He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he  forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison.. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.  The pastor asked him if he would allow him to  take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten  Island  and to the same house where the pastor  had taken the woman three days earlier.  He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.  True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid  Who says God does not work in mysterious ways...  I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for  you today, to guide you and protect you as you go  along your way. His love is always with you, His  promises are true, and when we give Him all our  cares you know He will see us through..  So when the road you're traveling on seems  difficult at best... Just remember I'm here  praying and God will do the rest. Pass this on  to those you want God to bless and don't forget  to send it back to the one who asked God to bless  you first.  When there is nothing left but God, That is when  you find out that God is all you need. Take 60 seconds and give this a shot! All you do is simply say the following small prayer for the person who sent you this.  Father, God, bless all my friends and family in what  ever it is that You know they may be needing this  day! May their life be full of your peace, prosperity and power as he/she seeks to have a  closer relationship with you. Amen.