There is Joy in the morning

This morning I left the doctors office to head for the pharmacy to pick up a prescription and then on to the grocery store.  Feeling lousy and standing in line to check out I stood watching people come and leave.  As I watched a man caught my eye because I recognized him.  He reminded me of another man I knew and I wondered if I had not heard where somewhere down the line they were actually related.  As I pondered this thought his wife came up and he took her arm.

I wanted to come home and draw a picture of what I saw, but my earlier attempt at drawing was really not well and I recall the Psalmist could draw a picture with words so beautifully in my lesson this morning (Psalm 139:1-10).  So I decided to write my story as it happened and draw a word picture as it appeared in my mind.

The man stood tall and straight with a strength still remaining in his face of a time long ago passed.  The woman was whose hair was not totally gray although not all one shade and was cut short over the ears.  She slightly bent over her cane and took his arm as they slowly left the store followed by the clerk with their basket of groceries.  I don't really recall the clerk and basket, however I presume since they carried nothing in their arms that this was the case.  I could see nothing but the couple or get past the rush of emotion that grabbed my heart and threatened to cause tears to fall from my eyes.  You see, I remember this lady when she walked with her body straight as an arrow like a willow tree that the wind could blow back and forth to only once again stand tall. She was my teacher many years ago.  She taught me the beauty of life through painting and at the same time showed me the glory of the Lord in small glimpses of herself and her paintings.  She was full of life and her smile drew us in and caused us to want to take that paint brush and produce what we could not because she truly had the hand of the master.  Yet she would give us encouragement and hope and always tell us we could do as well even though she seemed to see hers as not the best either.

As they departed and left the store another thought quickly entered my mind.  "Robin!"  look what you missed by being taken so young.  Look what we watch and see.  And I asked myself the question, "why did we grieve so when you left?  I thought of all the things she missed by having the privilege of going home early.  She was prepared.  And for one small second I had a pity party and began to remember what she had missed and also wondered what those who have known me all my life now see?  I thought I want to get out of here while I still stand straight and tall which was foolish as well as prideful.  None of us should want to get out of here before the Lord is ready for us because we might miss the greatest opportunity of all to do something that would honor him as he so richly deserved to be honored.

I came home my mind filled with words that I wanted to get written down but a picture I wanted to draw to go with my story.  My sleepy husband awaken from his usual noon nap smiled and asked me what the doctor said and from there I began to empty my heart to him about my story.

As I described the scene and told the story another thought entered my head.  Carol once said how can you sit and watch the death of a leaf and call it beautiful.  She said it in fun but the real thought began to pour out like the tears that now filled and tumbled from my eyes as I related to my husband these thoughts.  "We think it is sad to watch the bodies grow old and die, but to our Christ it is beautiful.  He sees all the beauty of the colors and the different shapes and gladly brings them into his presence, because He knows they will die and then once again come alive to be all shades of green and new growth.  A born again leaf, Wow what an image!  How the concept changed my heart of sorrow to one of Joy.

I hope when my children and friends watch me as I crumble and fall in age and my body begins to decay that they will see a tree covered in beautiful shades of yellow, green, red and browns with all colors in between; they will know it is just a few seconds in time and I will go home to be born once more with all the youth, vitality and vigor I ever experienced as a child and more.  I will be with my Savior and run through heaven and when I bend on my knees to worship him my body will allow it, when I see His face I will see it clearly without the curse of glasses, when I place my hand in his I will feel it and the rapture will be untold in my heart.  He will see it, hear it, feel it, and I will know He does.

And Robin, from now on mama will only see a beautiful tree with all shades of green that was reborn in the presence of God.  And I will remember the tree that the leaves died so early bore beautiful leaves of red, greens, yellows and browns and what a beautiful memory left behind for all of those you loved.