Stand in the light

In my garden there is a gift. This gift is a beech hedge.

Every season it gives us some new joy but I think it glows brightest in autumn.

Having changed my header photo to reflect the season, I thought I’d just put up a poem in honour of trees  and all they give us/teach us.

The poem is by the wonderful Mary Oliver and it is out there in many places on the net so I hope it’s okay for me to put it here also .

I love this poem because it tells me that my only task is to ‘stand in the light’. I don’t have to get busy, or struggling to be fruitful. Trees ‘drink’ in light, turn light to energy and grow ‘all by themselves’.

I only need to stand in the light of God’s love for me and a similar transformation will occur.  Thank you Mary.

When I Am Among the Trees

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, and discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”