The Mango Tree
12:26 PM
One of my most treasured possessions is my copy of A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. There's an inscription inside the cover in my grandma's familiar scrawl: "To Christine from D-daddy and Grandma, 1981." When I found out I was pregnant with Claire, my mom dug the beloved book out of the attic and brought it to me in Honduras. I was surprised to find I could still recite many of these treasured poems, especially the one about Leery, the lamplighter. I have loved rediscovering the beauty of these pages with Claire, who never tires of the galloping rhythm of "Windy Nights," her personal favorite.
Another poem describes the joy and wonder of a child when he climbs into a cherry tree and discovers new worlds beyond his own yard. I made a collage of pictures of Claire in our yard a few years back and tweaked the poem to fit our own story:
Another poem describes the joy and wonder of a child when he climbs into a cherry tree and discovers new worlds beyond his own yard. I made a collage of pictures of Claire in our yard a few years back and tweaked the poem to fit our own story:
Up into the mango tree,I like to picture a knowing smile on my Heavenly Father's face as He listened to a younger me dreaming of looking "abroad on foreign lands" that lay beyond my own yard. Little did I know what He had in store! As He shaped and molded this great adventure for me, He put more care into each detail than Stevenson did into perfecting each line of poetry. She's going to love this!
Who should climb but little me?
I held the trunk with both my hands
And looked abroad on foreign lands.
One of the devil's most widely-accepted lies is that following God's will is dull. Nothing could be further from the truth! I've found excitement, fulfillment, and complete satisfaction in serving Him.
I often wonder where Claire's path will take her. What mountains will she climb? Which rivers will she cross? Whom will she meet along the way? I can't see the future, but I do know that if she follows God's will for her life, she'll find surprises and twists she can't possibly imagine, meticulously crafted just for her.
God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame. ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning
This blog is one of your BEST so far! Well said, succinct and right on spiritually. "Every perfect gift. . ." is often revealed as time unfolds and connects our life-dots. I think that is one of my greatest joys in reaching the 2nd have of a century--looking back and seeing God's hand. Glimpses of the tapestry's topside!
Beautifully done! Stirred many generational memories of Mama who introduced us all to the poems of RLS!
Love you,
Aunt Kathy
Part of the fun of this bumpy, beautiful path is the FUN of this walk! I love God's inside jokes (our dream home, built on Shiloh Dr.!), His prep for a future only He knows, and the rich complexity of His crafting us in His image. What a wonderful God!
Love your writing, honey! Miss you so.