Reflection on Straddie fire
I went to Straddie on the weekend and new green growth is springing up everywhere. Like a refiner's fire, new life in the bush comes not in spite of the burning but because of it.
God promises too that for those who love Him good will always come.
(Romans 8:28: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.)
Thank you to my daughter-in-law Courtney for contributing this poetic reflection about the North Stradbroke Island January fires.
A desert scene before me,
heat reflecting off the sand.
The trees stripped of their foliage
by the fire's angry hand.
The sandy hills that flourished
are lined with charcoal trunks,
and trees that towered proudly
are now reduced to stumps.
The tough black boys defeated,
fierce heat could not withstand.
Their once green hair turned amber,
bodies battered where they stand.
The untamed scrub now ashes
as the flames ruthlessly cleared
and turned this beach oasis
into a desert burned and seared.
Yet 'midst the barren wasteland
hope of life is found
as black scars fade and shoots of green
appear upon the ground.
New foliage on the battered trees
like jewels of green adorn.
As new life blooms and hope rebuilds
the land no longer mourns.
The untouched life of Straddie
the fire tried to steal,
But the spirit of this land is strong, and
with time all wounds will heal.
Courtney Anderson
copyright 2014
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