Thanksgiving, Coming In Out of the Cold

The sky says it all, well most of it. It’s the clouds, the rain, the wind and the lack of birds. Yes, the Robins and Goldfinches have all flown the coup. Even the calendar shouts it out to us. Fall is in the air and time to go inside where it's warm.

With fall comes the hurried work of putting all the summer stuff away. Most of you have probably already done that, right? Then again. . . we are hoping the good weather will be with us another day or week. Some of us even wait for an expected 'Indian Summer'. That one last burst of warm sunshine before the grip of fall knocks all the leaves off the trees.

Just the other day one of the evidences of fall came along with the Big Wind! We noticed it when we came home from church. A father and son were out front of our home picking up chestnuts. A bumper crop I might add. The son was furiously gathering, so excited and not wanting to miss one. I talked to the father and he said he had been gathering them at our house for twelve years now. Two hours later, they were back with even bigger bags and just as much enthusiasm. And to think they never heard of Conkers.

Reminded me of the story of how Jesus, (Luke 13:34) standing outside the city of Jerusalem started crying for the people that couldn’t be gathered. Interestingly I believe He is still crying for all the people in who won’t be gathered by Him. Church isn’t just a place to go on Sunday because there is nothing else to do. It’s a gathering. Where God opens His arms and gathers us like a hen gathers its chicks. A good time to gather is now. And while you're at it, Thank Him this Thanksgiving.

Something to think about.

Rob