Milkweed and Renewal

It works. Breathing, that is. I brought a new inner calm and attitude to our Board meeting last week – one more about seeking understanding and less about telling, even while we were learning about concepts of governing a church. The tone of the meeting felt different to me, and I left feeling content we had done well. Good discussion, acknowledging our different views, and all hopefully coming away with more understanding than we had going in. No problems sleeping that night – no leftover chatter keeping me up.

I took some really great walks this week with Paul and Matt – Brandywine Creek State Park, the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge and then Ashland Nature Center on Sunday afternoon. I was particularly awestruck at the state of the woods at Ashland. Large, old trees were uprooted all along the way – evidence of our wet spring and high winds earlier, I suppose. It’s amazing to me to see such big and powerful trees, fallen to the ground. At this time of year, most of the green is gone, leaving a web of vines, totally encasing the trees. We walked along, leaves crunching under our feet – my camera in hand for recording the adventure. While walking through the woods, I spent a lot of time watching my step; never quite sure of what is under all those leaves – rocks, tree roots – things to trip me up. The trail was just barely visible, from people who had walked that way before us.

Each season brings its own beauty. I love the blowing reeds in the refuge area, the sun setting in the distance. And the signs of new life to come in the milkweed pod at Ashland, split open, soft – ready to send its seeds off to begin the next cycle of life. Trees that once toppled over have grown new shoots, reaching out from the shade of the woods towards the sun near the water. Red berries remain – food for the birds that remain over winter. The milkweed pod reminds me of our own renewal – individually and together. I’m feeling new energy in our congregation. New ways of connecting with each other.  New ways of living our values.  Are you feeling it, too?