Sue O’Donnell. 04.02.21
Winter delight, oh what a sight,
The mid month of January and late February, a delight,
When the garden has turned overnight,
To be mostly glowing, frosty white.
The ground sparkles, catching the sun.
Last year’s race now over and done.
A New Year ever with timely appeal, is here,
January 1
st turned the annual wheel.
Trees all about are particularly picturesque,
Boughs bending by branches statuesque.
For secretly, well hidden Jack Frost is about,
Frozen in stillness our world is silenced, no doubt.
An atmosphere of quietness, marvellous to behold,
This month is sculptured in individual mould.
Perhaps not a favourite of very many,
Yet always but always you can find elements of beauty.
Upon winter’s structure we gaze to amaze,
In all its bare, bold, brown dominant grandeur.
Our gaze is held by the stature
The wonderful design of nature’s Creator.
Ever, ever busy about His work,
Efforts to delight us the Master never will shirk.
January opens its ice clad doors,
Revealing frost and snow covering the moors.
Skeletal trees, denuded of leaves,
Nothing within view is masked so deceives.
As each month of winter the growth grows stronger,
Whilst perfume escapes from flowers that linger.
Beauty is apparent in flowering shrubs,
Hints of colour appear in carefully planted tubs.
Both a welcome winter feature to a garden, but more significantly
Letting your gaze be led b y the detail of a vista,
Something out as far as the horizon often.
Winter’s style is a beauty unique,
So very different to the other seasons, colour a-plenty.
Bare boldness a notable reason for praise
As we amaze to gaze upon winter’s structure and stature,
In all its bare, bold, God given grandeur.
Will this new year of opportunity be like this for us.
Honest, straightforward, our trust in Jesus.
It is time now for resolution
Wisdom and truth to shape our decisions.
Will we do so fearlessly?
We commit our time to holy authority,
God’s kingdom advancing by efforts made.
Jesus’ love in us always displayed,
That resolve will start the year off well,
But firm resolutions must linger and dwell.
Let us then, pray and pray.
Pray for guidance each and every day.
Willing to submit to the Holy Spirit
In whom our life gains some merit.
For the Spirit’s work always with us
Is to make the Lord Jesus ever our focus.
New Year’s Day, a time for resolution,
Thank God in Him, we find the solution.
The wondrous, almighty, loving Trinity,
Acting as One yet our God in Three,
Ever combine to lovingly help us,
Our safeguarding and security in the presence of Jesus.
Start the year as you mean to go on,
With tried, tested faith and prayer dependent upon.
In the silence of a frozen stillness,
Reflect how we can live to be gracious.
Becoming a witness to God’s power in our life,
Time lived out without errors’ strife.
Prayer always results in willing submission,
As to our Father you grant permission,
For the Spirit to come down lovingly upon us
Helping us to live much more like Christ Jesus.
Dearest Father, Your creativity includes the winter beauty of frosty ground, the stark beauty of true stature,
sculpting our world in a specific mould.
Also You create a new us in Christ Jesus, thank You. He resides within our prayer as we learn to call on the Holy Spirit, who is in charge of anything worth a merit mark.
We pray and learn You live and act as an all loving Trinity, safeguarding and guiding us. This is our experience of happiness in Christ Jesus’ friendship.
We started the year with good resolution hopefully informed and formed by the Holy Spirit. May we daily put these into life’s activities.
We must learn to be, then live to be gracious towards everybody, for in all peoples are the Spirit of life and You with us Father God, in Your Son.
May prayer ever shape our life in submissive reverent obedience to all You ask of us. For You look for beauty, not only in the winter world so strikingly lovely, but in us, brought newly alive in Christ Jesus.
Alert to the Holy Spirit, willing and wanting to live in a way similar to that which the Lord Jesus shows to us, may we become a fully holy family, all to Your delight and honour.
Creation’s story is not complete until we accomplish this. Thank You that within everything beautiful there is an invitation to stop and see Your hand at work. May we not fail You. Amen.
CATEGORY: (NATURE, Winter)
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
WINTER
Key Themes
NATURE
