Penelope had to go see vet brother this morning. She turned into a goose last night when the clock struck 12, waking me with the cough of a croupy baby. Kept us awake till daylight. This dog loves vet brother and his staff. She pranced in the office honking like a Canadian goose all excited to see her friends and thinking of her pedicure, no worries of shots or embarrassing temperature checks. Scared one of the waiting room dog daddies when she had a honking spell. I just told him she honks when she eats trash that I never see her consume. Vet brother thought she might be eating Kat’s prizes but Kat is too much the lady to leave her prizes in our front yard. Penelope got a shot, an antibiotic, a toenail clipping, and a lecture about treats and gaining two pounds. She’s donating her new box of Milk-bone treats to vet brother’s office. We came home and I perched on the swing and she napped in the playpen.

As I sat in the swing watching the songbirds and butterflies a very handsome male red-winged black bird flew down to the birdbath and perched on its rim. He was dressed in a glossy black suit, his red and yellow epaulets hung proudly on his shoulders. He surveyed the yard as he drank, his yellow rimmed eyes, proud and alert. His partner, sitting on the top of a bird feeder pole, quietly waited, subdued, her plumage streaky brown and yellowish around the neck. She resembles a large sparrow.

I was almost dozing off in the swing when an acorn hit the tin roof next door. The mighty little acorns, dressed in their little carved caps, sound like large ball bearings when they bounce off the roof. A few weeks from now when the October breezes are strong it will sound like a machine gun as acorns hit the roof, ricocheting off to the ground.

I’m enamored with the acorns today. Stepped on one barefooted and memories of stray Legos left on the floor at night floated through my mind. I’ve never noticed all the different colors of acorns falling from my old water oak, all shades of greens and browns and blacks, all earth colored hues from God’s watercolor palette. I love the acorns colored sienna, yellowish-brown and burnt, the greens of Granny Smith apples, the pale coffee milk shades. All different and unique, some of them wearing gorgeous little caps intricately carved by God’s hands. Picked up a few acorns this morning, one painted a deep greenish black, striped with thin yellow lines. So pretty but when I went to take a photo tonight the yellow lines had faded. Never seen one with stripes, made me think of winter squash and gourds.

Bible scripture doesn’t speak of acorns but frequently mentions the strength and stability of the mighty oak. In Isaiah 61:3 we read, “that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” This verse tells us people who believe in God are strong in their faith, well rooted in the Lord. Oak trees have long lives, deeply rooted in God’s soil with the strength to endure storms. As Christians we trust God and his commandments to root us deep in our faith, giving us the strength to weather life’s storms. We stand strong when we’re anchored by God’s promises.

The oak tree represents the strength and stability of faith that God brings to our lives. The acorns represent the promises of new beginnings and transformations. I think we can be an acorn for God by being rooted in his teachings, displaying our faith by standing tall in adversity. We can offer shelter, like the oaks that shade us, by being a refuge for others, offering kindness and compassion. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.” We can be an acorn for God, planting seeds of faith through our words and deeds, helping bring others into God’s forest of believers.

“You never quite know what you do in life that leaves a seed behind that grows into an oak tree.” — Michael Portillo