old made new

The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become –
because He made us.
He invented us.
He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be…
It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality,
that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.”
C.S. Lewis

(a green chameleon perches amongst the shrubs / Julie Cook / 2021)

At our previous home, we always had a small menagerie of critters that
called our home and yard, their home and yard…

This new house is no different–it’s just that some of the residents are,
well, different.

A post regarding these new residents will be a post for another day….
for today’s thoughts come from my having spotted a chameleon who was
in the process of literally losing his or her skin—
sloughing off the old for the new.

(a chameleon shedding / Julie Cook / 2021)

Maybe I knew this little fact about lizards shedding…
maybe I’d forgotten…
I certainly knew it about snakes and cicadas shedding…
but I’d never given much thoughts about lizards doing the same.

We have a group of skinks and chameleons who call our back patio theirs.
As in they were here before us.

The chameleons gravitate from green to brown depending on their
whims…or more aptly…depending on where they opt to traverse or
spend their time.. be it on the furniture or in the bushes.

Amazing how God gave such creatures the gift of change depending
upon their circumstance.

So imagine my surprise, or more aptly my shock, when I went to sit down
on a chair situated on the patio, and suddenly spied two chameleons chasing
one another on the chair…with one of the two looking pretty rough.
As in a bad hair, or make that skin, day,

Upon closer inspection, I realized the smaller of the two lizards was
shedding its winter coat, readying itself for a glorious spring and summer.
As well as hoping to look its best in order to snag a would be mate.

I think we humans feel much the same following our winter
hibernations…especially this year…
This past year having been a full length marathon hibernation…
Meaning it’s past time to let go of the old and become fresh and new.

I really like Mr. Lewis’s thoughts offered at the start of this post–
the thought that God invented all the different persons we are to become
throughout our lifetime–both good and bad actually.

I’ve never quite thought of it like that before.

Life without knowing our true nature as a child of God can
leave us quite dull and heavy.
And so as we advance in our relationship with the triune God,
we shed and shed….we shed off our old worn-out selves
as each shedding gives way to a newer creature…
allowing us to become lighter and much more fresh.

The shedding isn’t pretty to watch and is rather uncomfortable
to endure— think itchy and irritating and even perhaps
somewhat embarrassing…but the shedding, as unsightly as it is,
is necessary none the less.

And so during each season of our lives, as we gravitate to and closer
to our oneness with the One who gave Himself up on our behalf—
our God, Creator and Savior has seen us both before and after each of these
sloughing-off of layers.
Always loving us before, during and after we emerge into
our true and intended likeness of God’s original intention
for us, His created…

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh
I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

The woods are waking up!

Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars… and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers – for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.
Osho

Do you hear it?
Can you smell it?
The wind, that March wind of the roaring lion–
The wind which sweeps over the landscape sending all things scattering to and fro.
The air, breathe deeply for it is no longer cold– that type of cold which stings ones nose and throat- Happily there is warmth to the breath of this March lion.
Can’t you smell that sweet warm wind?

Do you hear them?
There is a symphony serenading the swamps and creeks.
The multitude of tree frogs have summoned their members of this annual choir.
The ground has warmed just enough, reminding those who have been dormant this winter, to rise and shine, it’s time to find that perfect mate.

Other worldly mushroom shaped buds line up on the tips of limbs and twigs, waiting to explode.
Such tiny buds not only signal the renewal of nature, but of our hearts and souls as well–for these are the buds of the wild dogwood.
The South knows that Spring has officially arrived by the blooming of these mystical trees.
The blooming of the dogwood is Nature raising her banners, alerting us all to the celebration of Easter.

Warming weather signals the internal mystery for the annual sloughing off of antlers, which in turn provides nutrients to smaller animals. This warming also sends the ground beneath the feet of all teaming with activity. Beware of roaming the newly cool green grass with feet bare for the South’s most hardy nemesis, the dreaded fire ant is on the move.

Good morning sleepy heads for behold, the Advent of Spring is here!

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.
~Author unknown, commonly attributed to Martin Luther