It was a “mystical” day in central Massachusetts. Especially in the afternoon, dark gray clouds lay low and swirled across the mountains moving in and out of the heavily hued groves of oaks, birches and maples. It made one turn on one’s windshield wipers at their slowest speed. The mist played peek-a-boo with one town’s church steeples. Geraniums not yet bitten by frost gathered droplets of water prisming surroundings and begging to have their pictures taken. Too warm for a coat and too cool for none, the day called for a sweater. Somewhere on top of the clouds the sun shone brightly but you would never have known, living on the ground. I love “worsted” days near Worcester, Mass. It’s the right place to be. It’s the right time to be. It’s the end of October in New England.
If Jesus had met Nicodemus tonight in our city park, surely He would have said, “You know well enough how the mist moves this way and that. You see it swirling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the mist of God, the Spirit of God.” Today was a good day to be born again. It was a day to thank God for the chance to start fresh. In Colossians 2:13-14 Paul wrote, “Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s Cross.” *
Actually, everyday and any day is a good day for that. But somehow today seemed like a better day.
*The Message by Eugene Peterson
Written by Roger Bothwell on October 28, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org