Falling Leaf

Last day of this amazing Canadian adventure, and we drove out to the Forks of the River Credit in Ontario, not that far from the city of Toronto to enjoy the autumn leaves in all their glory. Brilliant reds, oranges and yellows, and, with the whisk of a gentle breeze of this warm indian summer day, a whole shower of golden leaves falls like confetti.

Puts me in mind of a moment just about a year ago, when I was together with our Field Ministries Team for a retreat in the north eastern corner of Italy. Walking through trees to a lake, a sudden gust of, at that time, chilly autumnal wind, brought a similar shower of golden confetti around our heads. It was almost mystical. As we had been spending the afternoon in quiet contemplation and prayer concerning the future vision of our Mission, it seemed to me, as if God was giving a gentle confirmation of His continued presence going before us. And it wasn’t just me. When we got back to the Centre where we were staying, my Spanish colleague, Francie, said to me “Did you feel it, out there by the lake - the sense of his Spirit...?”

This Canadian adventure has been, yes, a holiday, but more than that. A refreshing, and a reawakening of the sense of God continually expressing Himself through what He has made, reinforcing what we understood of Him through His word, and what we recognised of Him in the lives of others. Whether it’s snow capped peaks, golden corn on the prairies, or red maple leaves dropping to the forest floor, this world is so full of His glory, it’s hard to miss.   

Psalm 24:1 “The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein”