A tree for all seasons

Tonight is the last gasp of July, but my words are few. I have spent them elsewhere this month, poured my refections into Sunday School lessons, a devotional, and a sermon. I gave away my words in hours of conversation, on lazy days of vacation with family and in sweet visits with old friends, and I am richer and emptier for it. So tonight I offer four pictures in lieu of words, four photos of the same dogwood tree over four seasons of the past year. The first photo was taken the week we flew back from Tanzania last fall, and the final photo was taken yesterday, when a pile of friends filled the summer branches.

Tonight I am grateful for this tree for all seasons, this tree I once climbed and now my children climb. And I am grateful for the God who gives meaning to my life in all seasons, who continues to be my dwelling place, my refuge, and my rest.

May it be so for you.