Ah, the shade, on sultry day,
And wisp of wind against your skin.
Thank you, magnolia.
Thank you, styraciflua,
For braving winter wind and cold
‘Til summer — leafy arms unfold.
And water from faucet,
With ice cubes, too,
Or lemonade, or brown iced tea,
Down the throat, deliciously.
Without the heat, ‘twould be no pleasure,
Without the heat, we could not measure,
Blessed relief, after the heat.
A modern covered wagon,
An RV just as long.
You rent it for a fortnight,
And bring your dog along.
You’re crammed into close quarters;
Your food you have to plan.
You bump into each other,
But trav’lin’ round is grand.
Your home is your conveyance,
The road leads on and on.
Sometimes you meet new people,
Or friends who’d said, “So long!”
You learn about your nation —
Its people varied, great.
Don’t stop too long or often,
Or for your camp you’re late.
Some nights you’re almost shiv’ring,
And others, sweating lots,
But all along it’s worth it
To see fantastic spots.
So come along and travel
In RV, car, or plane,
But don’t forget to walk along
God’s glorious nature trail.
Warmth in the Cold
Warmth in the cold — how often do we take it for granted?
A fire, a heater in our home, a warm jacket, a cap that covers our head and ears, a warm scarf, socks and shoes or boots, blankets, quilts, or comforters. And how about the warmth of a smile, a hug, a gentle voice, a forgiving or encouraging friend?
I once stayed a weekend at a cabin in Grass Valley, California. All the heating, cooking, and hot water was produced by burning wood. On mornings there would be a designated person who got up first and got the fire going for heating the cabin. People took turns because it wasn’t so pleasant getting up in the cold. Then, if you wanted to get clean in the shower, water had to be heated by burning wood. Cooking was a lot more work, too. In the United States and other places, we take our electric or gas heaters and ovens for granted.
So today, let’s be grateful for warmth. And Lord, help us to offer your warmth to someone today.
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