Swamp?

This spring when my children and I went to Dawes Arboretum in Newark, we wandered through the breathtakingly beautiful park.

We took the Oak trail
and as we walked
we appreciated the signs of the world awakening
from its winter slumber.

In the forest,
the carpet of lush vegetation
made me dream of the coming warmth.

At the end of our hike,
we reverently walked the boardwalk
through the Cyprus swamp.

Today one of my dearest friends and
I traveled the same path.

To my great astonishment,
the water was gone.

My idle curiosity as to the depth of the murky water
teeming with tadpoles was at long last solved.

In its place,
new questions...

Is it normal for the swamp to dry up?
Where did all those bitty frogs go?

Life is always an adventure.
Everything we learn leads to more questions.

Each day is gift,
a chance to enjoy the wonder of the world.

Some days we face hard questions...
the sad "whys" of the word...

Other moments we may feel outraged at the "why" questions...

But, always we are alive when we ask for answers...
seeking and walking the path before us.

I think most of you,
like me,
have experienced the range of emotions I speak of.

Tonight,
I give thanks that I can feel.

If I have to know what it means to feel sadness,
so that I can appreciate blessings...

If I must walk through valleys to make it to the top of the mountains...

Let me then learn a few of the answers along the way...

Even if they only concern swamps and tadpoles.
I will be blessed.
I pray that we learn from the good,
the bad
and the sad
we meet in life.
... And that,
in the end,
we walk on with peace in our hearts
and the knowledge
that we are loved by the One who holds all truth.
Today and always,
I wish you what you need...
and then...
the extra measure of grace
to bring a smile to your face.