I like to think that in God’s infinite love, God knew we would need a way to make sense of pain and suffering. Maybe Ecclesiastes appeals to our human need to render meaning and to seek hope within the construct of past-present-future. Today, amidst the pain and suffering in our world, the need is very real.
to everything, a season
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecc 3: 1-8
Think about it:
God-who-is-timeless
chose to reveal God-self to us
– through the construct of time.
But its echo reminds me: our time is not God’s time.
As a believer, the day will come – when time will be no longer.
Till then, seasons remain.
One of the gifts within the picture book writing community is sharing our messy manuscripts with one another. This month, I learned that as autumn unfolds, there is quite a bit of busyness taking place within a tree – packing away chloroplasts, storing this energy deep in trunk and roots, where it is bathed and nourished –so the tree is ready to grow again when earth calls.
This revelation upended my understanding of autumn. No longer dying and dormant, the physical world toils, doing the hidden work of renewal.
renewal
a garden grew
brought forth fruit
spirit-nourished
we grew, too
a garden grew
brought forth faith
joy-sustained
me in you
a season wanes
vine uprooted
soil turned
buried, waiting
hearts
and gardens
winter tended
bedded down
unabandoned
spirit-tested
recommit to
hope, renewal
me in you
image & photo
©2023 Patricia J. Franz
My thanks to Fran Haley who offered our renewal prompt for November. She shares a poignant experience of renewal here. You can also find the links to other Spiritual Journey friends’ reflections this month on her blog.
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
Patricia, how precious is your little grandboy. I see he is enjoying the season. “…Our time is not God’s time.” I need to keep reminding myself of that so I can be more patient during renewal time. Thank you for that special message. The use of repetition and simple word choice is evident in this line: “me in you”. Your Renewal poem is filled with a gentle, loving spirit. To everything there is a season. Thank you for bringing a sense of peace to us during SJT.
I love to contemplate the deep reality that God is ever-at work in us, ever-renewing.
Patricia, a beautiful reminder that just as we need to renew our mind, spirit, snd body, trees are also renewing their energy as they sit dormant. In spring their energy bursts forth in new leaves. We, too, burst forth and bloom in God’s love after a period of renewal.
Patricia, once again I cannot see the comment I sent you. I will check back later to see if your received it.
I love the renew part . There is a lot to think about with that word and this poem for me ! Thank you for sharing!
“renewal/ me in you.” is a beautiful line to land on. Yes!
Such a powerful reflection on renewal, Patricia. As I was reading about all the activity in a tree preparing for winter, I recalled reading that leaves are organs too fragile for the tree to protect in the winds and cold, so the tree releases them. I am also reminded that trees communicate with one another through chemicals in the air and soil, and that they will try to help keep one another alive..utterly fascinating, Creation and its lessons! Always renewing. I sense it especially in the last stanza of your lovely, lovely poem. Thank you for the gift of this post.
Patricia, I, too, tried to leave a previous comment that I can’t see! Trying again: In reading about all the unseen activity in a tree as it preparea for winter, I recall having heard that leaves are organs too fragile, too costly, to maintain during the winds and cold, so the tree lets them go. I think of it now as banking for future renewal. I am reminded also of the way that trees communicate with each other via chemicals in the air and soil, how they “care” for each other and will try to nurture and warn each other…utterly amazing, Creation and its lessons! You capture its sense of renewal so well in your lovely, lovely poem (oh, the photo <3). Thank you for the gift of this post.
(and now I see both!!)
Hi Patricia: Thanks so much for this post, for the lesson about trees and their autumn work, and for the word “unabandoned” in your poem. It makes me think about the “Footsteps” poem in which we learn that God is with us all the time, but during the hard times he carries us. Your poem is wonderful!
Patricia, your poem gave me new thoughts about autumn too: “No longer dying and dormant, the physical world toils, doing the hidden work of renewal.” Lovely thoughts! And your poem–the short lines and rhyme scheme are very effective. I love the line “we grew too” and how it made me feel when I read it.
The pic of your grandson is the perfect illustration for your poem. I can sense his wonder examining those pine cones. The fruits of the garden becoming faith and realizing that we can be nourished and emerge from this fallow time of year recommitted and renewed. Your poem is lovely! Thanks for joining us.