Mouldering leaves

Weeks ago, the leaves drifted and dropped from the trees, many landing on the tarmac driveway. Much has been happening in my life lately, and it was only today that I thought I might bag a few to compost.

I wielded the heavy outdoor brush, pushing and pulling, shoving and dragging, and partially cleared about 10 square feet of driveway. Heavy rains have saturated the leaves, making them heavy and sticking them to the ground. In under half an hour, I had over-filled a black (sorry, plastic…) bag with so many leaves I could barely lift it.

Things drift into our lives. They drop from messy situations, fly from difficult encounters, blow down during the storms that periodically hit us all. We can tidy them up, bag them and wait for them to decompose into rich fertiliser to inform our lives. Or we can leave them to lie, mouldering and growing heavier.

Jesus invites us to bring our mouldering leaves to him. He advises us to focus our eyes on him, not on circumstances, not on ourselves, not on others. It is in the focusing on him that we are relieved and our burdens are lightened.

The theory is divine. The practicing of it is difficult, oh, so difficult.

That’s why he gives us his Spirit, to help us. Jesus did it all, because of his love. That’s the kind of love I want to grow in my life. That is the real gift of Christmas. His love, in us, with us, for us. All of us.