Porch Time

by Lydia Floren

It is hard to say goodbye to summer, especially up here in the North Woods.

Summers in Wisconsin are exquisite, and we Wisconsinites spend as much time outdoors as possible  this time of year.  For the Floren family, this means a lot of porch-time.

Our back porch, extending from our house’s second story, is surrounded by woods. Sitting on the porch is kind of like perching in a treehouse:

Light filters through the trees. Multicolor greens drape the woods. Birds chatter song in surround sound, as a breeze whooshes through the branches. A chipmunk skitters across the deck, and a chickadee lands on the bird-feeder only to flit off a moment later.

It is easy to appreciate God’s beauty when enjoying the outdoors, but God’s beauty is more profound than just the lush green of a Wisconsin summer.  God’s true beauty shines in His character.

• His goodness. The utter lack of evil in His existence.
• His power to overcome evil.
• His grace to forgive, and to replace lies with truth.
• His commitment to stay with us/within us now and for all eternity.
• His gentle care for each of us, accepting us right where we are, and providing what we need, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.
• His direction, leading us in the next step.
• His compassion, tenderly cherishing each of us, and consistently loving us no matter what.
• His companionship, providing company for us through our day.

We’ve said goodbye to summer up here in the cold, cold north, but we need never say goodbye to the One who created it.  In every season His beauty shines within us, and all around us.