hidden beauty

Earlier this week I was babysitting my grandson Peter.  One of our many activities was coloring in a new kind of coloring book.  We took special markers and rubbed on a picture of a storybook character and, magically, other patterns and shapes appeared from the background.  This was exciting for Peter.  He kept saying: "What's turning up?" as we rubbed our markers and began to see the forms emerging.  This morning, on my walk, I was struck by the brilliant reds and oranges of some of the trees.  It occurred to me that I would never have noticed these trees, individually, in the summer when they were green.  Now, as the leaves approach their demise, they cause their parent trees to be distinguished.  The thought occurs that, in our lives the picture begins to take shape as the events that test us rub and display the picture God has placed within us.  We can take heart that, even as we grow older and out of the "green" of our summer days there will be a beauty that is directly associated with, and appropriate for, the latter seasons.  Hopefully others will be drawn to the tree that has produced the color. 2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. blessings, Rob Smith