nature – Woodsmoke and Cardamom

Treasures

by Lucy M. Young

I have so many treasures, Lord,
I scarce know where to start to name them all.
I have the wide, blue sky, the stars and moon at night,
Sunrise and glowing sunset.
I have the fresh, clean air to breathe,
And water, pure and sweet, to quench my thirst;
Cooling breezes and refreshing rain,
The fragrance and the splendor of the flowers;
The shade and towering beauty of the trees;
The happy songs of birds;
The bounty of my garden;
The sweetness of the peaches in my little orchard;
The comfort of a kitten purring softly on my pillow;
And I have love -
The love of friends and family and gentle pets;
But best of all, Lord, Your eternal love which never fails.
It guides, upholds and strengthens me each day.
It is the greatest treasure of them all.

This Lovely Day

by Lucy M. Young

photo by Behzad Azandaryan Malayeri on Unsplash

Dear Lord, I thank You for this lovely day -
The azure sky, the golden sun,
The cooling breeze.

Lord, help me make the most of every moment
Let no disturbing thoughts
Or angry words
Disturb the tranquil beauty of each passing hour.

Let me think only of today,
Not looking back nor yet ahead.
The past is gone,
The future, yet to be, held safely in Your hands.

So, with Your help,
I'll treasure every moment;
Then when I lay me down to rest this night,
I'll thank You once again in quiet prayer
For this most lovely day.

The Wild Geese

by Lucy M. Young

Today I heard them in the pre-dawn darkness,
Their plaintive, poignant cries awakened me,
Arousing primitive emotions in my breast.
Earth-bound I longed to rise and follow them,
Soaring wild and free through the crisp October air
Across the windswept countryside toward sunrise.

What faith and courage they must have
To make this arduous journey every year -
Their strong wings beating through the air waves,
Following their leader trustingly.

What prompts them, forcing them to leave their nesting grounds
To ply uncharted skies?
What guides them so unerringly to their destination?
Who leads their leader -
None but our own Heavenly Father,
Guardian and Leader of us all.

The Thunderstorm

by Lucy M. Young

It moved in slowly from the West
Stealthily obscuring the sun.
The blue sky disappeared behind the dark and threatening clouds.
Lightning streaked across the blackness,
Thunder rolled and muttered,
Darkness deepened
Turning day to deepest twilight,
Evening shades beneath the trees.
Then came the rain -
A drenching, roaring deluge upon the parched dry earth.
The thirsty plants accepted it
And lifted grateful leaves like hands to God.
Reluctantly the storm released its grip upon the humid atmosphere
And drifted slowly on beyond the mountain