November Surprise

This morning I joined Roger for a morning walk/run. The air was crisp and most of the leaves have fallen from the trees. I missed most of the beauty of New England's fall this year, but have enjoyed the tail end of it. Perhaps my favorite part is watching the leaves fall in a slow, steady stream as I walk or drive. Anyway, as we returned from our walk to the home we're living in, this is what I saw:



Yes, ROSES!!!! Something I look forward to seeing in late spring or summer. I hadn't even noticed this house had roses. It was so hard to believe they were real that I had to walk up to them and smell, only to be filled with their wonderful aroma. Yes, they were alive and growing. Here's a closer view. I hope you can almost smell them yourselves:



I'm sure they have been there ever since I returned a couple of weeks ago, but today is the day I noticed them. Maybe that's because I was walking rather than in a car; maybe it's because I wasn't preoccupied with my long to-do list; and maybe it's because I needed them TODAY.

Our lives are kind of skewampish right now, sort of turned on an angle, and very few things are "normal". I'm someone who likes to know what's going on and be in control, and right now that isn't possible. To my surprise, instead of being in a bad mood, feeling frustrated, and complaining; I am usually at peace, and able to recognize God's hand in my life.

HOPE and FAITH are lighting the way as each next step unfolds. That's because of the Holy Ghost, that wonderful gift that helps me recognize TRUTH, find COMFORT and DIRECTION, and remain STEADFAST in spite of the uncertainties in my life.

What a delight to find unexpected roses along the way!