Pastor's Pen March 2025

      In a small, forgotten corner of the forest, where sunlight struggled to penetrate the dense canopy, stood an old oak tree. Its gnarled branches, once proud and reaching, were now twisted and bare, its leaves few and withered. The forest creatures whispered of its age, of how it had seen generations come and go, but now, it seemed to be fading away, its life force dwindling.

One day, a tiny, windswept seed, carried from a distant meadow, landed at the base of the old oak. It was a seed of a wildflower, small and delicate, with no grand aspirations. Yet, when it felt the damp earth beneath it, a spark of life ignited within. It began to push its roots down, searching for nourishment, and soon, a tiny green shoot emerged, reaching towards the faintest glimmer of sunlight.

The old oak, in its fading state, watched the sprout with a strange curiosity. It had seen so many things grow and decay, but this little seed, so determined to thrive in the shade of its own decline, stirred something within it.

As the days turned into weeks, the tiny sprout grew taller, its petals unfurling in shades of vibrant purple, a splash of color against the muted greens of the forest floor. The old oak, with each passing day, felt a renewed energy. It began to notice the sunlight again, the whisper of the wind through its leaves, the rhythm of the forest around it.

The little wildflower, in its own small way, had brought the old oak back to life. It reminded him of the resilience of nature, the beauty that can bloom even in the most unlikely places. The oak, now with a renewed purpose, began to spread its branches a little wider, offering a sliver of protection to the small flower from the harsh elements.

And so, the old oak and the tiny wildflower thrived together, a testament to the power of hope, where even the most withered tree can find new life with a little spark of determination, and where even the smallest seed can grow into a beacon of color in the darkest of places.

This story highlights the idea that even when things seem bleak, a small act of resilience or a spark of hope can bring about significant change and renewal, reminding us that life has a way of finding its way through even the most challenging circumstances. (copied from AI on internet)

            This story sends a message to me and hopefully to all of you about HOPE, that can happen every day if we are open to it and faithfully waiting for God to act and react in our lives. Hope can come to us all if we are able to wait and watch for Gods wonderful grace of forgiveness and abundant life.  In most of our lives we are constantly walking around with our heads down.  Wondering where our prize is, where is our reward.  Like the old oak tree some of us have just given up and let our lives wither and dry up. We drive around aimlessly and walk around with our heads in the sand. We are too busy or stagnant to make the best of our lives.  We forget to give the glory to God our creator. If everything is going great in our lives it is because we deserve it. If things go sour in our lives it is never our own fault but Gods fault. What we all forget is none of us deserve anything.  God gives us all we have through grace. We are all sinners and only through redemption and change of heart and actions do we receive all that God can give each of us.  What have you given back to God today? What have you given back to God this month? What have you given back to God in any part of your life?   In the end we will be judged by what we have done and by  what we have not done. The actions that took us away from God.  Changing our lives for the worse. The actions that we had a chance to do something and let it pass by us. But we all have HOPE for today and defiantly tomorrow. No matter what your yesterday was, you can grow from it and change it. No matter what you’re doing or not doing today you change it. Hope is with God! You may be standing in darkness and the branches of your life are withering and dying but with God a tiny seed of Hope can come into your life and help you to bloom in ways you have never imaged.  Sometimes hope is hiding in the darkness or like the old tree, the dark forest, sometimes it’s hard to see but it’s always there, you just have to look up and ask God to help you find it.

                                                                                                      Many Blessings,

                                                                                                        Rev. Walter Coy