It stormed yesterday,  and the night before, 
and the day before that -
wind and rain, rain and wind -
But this morning
the sun was shining,
and I went for a walk
in the park.

The lake was high,
the ducks were happy -
drainage ditches were filled,
forest paths had been washed over,
with leaves, mud, and debris -
and the forest floor was covered
in sticks and twigs
and stiff, hard, brown, dead palm fronds. 

Looking up,
the green palms swayed in the breeze,
flexible green fronds clinging tightly
to the heart, the life-giving core,
of the tree.
They survived the storm
by being flexible,
while clinging to the life of the tree.

Our faith faces storms these days 
and those who insist on old ways,
dead, stiff, dark legalism,
“the way we’ve always done it”,
litter the hard ground of death and decay.
But those who remain flexible,
while clinging to the life-giving heart of faith,
clinging to love,
will sway in the wind,
will find new ways,
will include more, 
and will grow and learn and love. 

Joyce Alexander, 9/21/20