Black leaves...

Yesterday I noticed that the leaves on my beloved boganvellia had turned black, a sure sign of frost damage. The second time in two years, frost damage has devastated my back yard plants, but the "bog" managed to survive. However, it made my heart sink when I saw it, since the withered, black leaves gave it the look of a large, gangly person in mourning. Not able to stand the look for very long I determined to cut it back today all the way if needed.

Once I started the process this afternoon I was pleased to uncover green leaves underneath the curled, blackened floiage jutting out from the center. The closer I got to the house (the plant sits fairly close to one of our outside walls) the greener and more alive everything in fact was.

It struck me that the inside leaves had not suffered much, if any damage. I wondered aloud if I could live in such a way as to grow closer to my shelter and, well, suffer less damage in the frost of life. This led me to ask, silently, what, or who is my shelter?

The easy Christian answer is Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. But that is really too glib even for me. I put my confidence in lots of people, places and things every day that have nothing to do with the Trinity. In my case, as in the case of my boganvellia, shelter is not really needed for "every day." Shelter is needed in the storm, at times of drought, frost, ravaging winds, and torrential downpours.

So who, or what is my shelter? Who, or what is sheltering you? What will keep your leaves green with life in the day of the storm, instead of suddenly cloaked in black and death? It's an important question, one which I am having to seriously consider in my own heart and soul.

I guess I will always try to reach out neyond what is completely safe, it's my nature. But when the storm comes, I am moving back toward home!