He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. – Psalm 104:19
As I write this, the Fall leaves have already started dropping from our trees. I love how our home is surrounded by a canopy of old and new-growth trees and a great variety of shrubs and undergrowth.
They provide so much to us: protection from the beating sun, absorption of sound, privacy from our neighbors, and a visual sign of the ever-changing times and season. Last night my husband took his trusty leaf blower and started meticulously clearing the leaves off the driveway. He worked his way up the
driveway, and it looked perfect. I knew that once he finished, he would turn around and give a satisfied sigh as he saw a driveway perfectly clear of leaves. As I watched the back of him as he made his way to the end, I could not help but think how fleeting that clear driveway will be. At that very moment, a gentle breeze blew through our trees and leaves started floating down upon the driveway again. As Todd turned
around, he saw me standing on the driveway smiling at him, with leaves all over the pathway that he had just cleared off. I told him that as soon as I had thought that his beautiful (and satisfying) efforts would not last for long, the wind had picked up, almost as if God was smiling down on us, reminding us that He is with us, that He is watching our hard work, our care and attention… yet, the seasons still come and go… the leaves will fall.

As Todd and I are about to have 2 new grandbabies to add to our family tree, we started to think about our wills. We had prepared “Our Last Will and Testaments” soon after we moved into our first home, having returned to Ephrata (where we had both been born and raised) and we were raising our first-born. We were settled in and knew we should plan ahead, so we drew up wills with a local attorney and friend, needing to think about who would raise our children should that need arise. That was in 1992, and we never updated them. Many seasons have come and gone since then, and we realized that we needed a fresh look at what we would like to occur, should there be a need to look at the legal documents we prepared. So, not only are we putting together updated Wills, but we are now creating Medical Power of Attorney and I’ve reached out to a local funeral home and the administrators of the Ream Family Cemetery (in Reamstown, PA, of course) to begin planning the simplicity that I want in the handling of my earthen vessel once I have gone to see my Precious Jesus face-to-face. Our lives had gone through many seasons since we first looked at the expanse of time that we had ahead of us in 1992. Our planning had to change, as well.

I write this not to bring you down, but to remind you how beautiful life is in the midst of each season of life. Some of you have walked through fewer seasons than I have; some have walked through many more
seasons than I have. Treasuring what can be treasured in the midst of each season and each day within that season has become my greatest goal. As the leaves blew down upon Todd’s very clean driveway, as if God had drawn in His breath, puckered His lips, and gently blew on the trees that would shower down the most leaves across that cleared pathway, I savored that moment. God is so present with us! In each and every season… in the highs, in the lows, and in all the in-betweens. The “evidence of our work” may fade with time, just as the leaves covered that clear driveway. Todd smiled at the leaves on the driveway as he turned to see them, and he smiled at me. We are in this together (for as long as God grants us): working and living and loving and planning and savoring ALL that comes our way in this beautiful life we live. We hope one day future Reams will live on this property. It’s our hope, but not necessarily the wishes of either of our adult kids and their spouses. But we prepare the way so that it is possible, should their plans or their children’s plans bring them here to the home we have built, embrace the places we have walked, the trees we have planted, the caretaking we have done.

In November, we will have 2 sermons (yes, a very short “series” this time), that will look at “Heroes of the Faith.” We will reflect on the work and efforts people of faith have made across the expanse of time since humanity first was placed upon this beautiful earth. I look forward to the reminder that these messages
will bring, that shows what we do matters. Time will pass, seasons will come and go, but we all leave evidence of our faith for future generations.

May God bless the legacy we leave as we live these lives of faith!

~Pastor Kim