Epiphany’s Garden Of Beauty

Epiphany’s Garden Of Beauty

By Dennis Keller

It’s fall, the sun begins to yawn and stretches to begin its annual slumber, the trees begin to shake their clothing of Summer, the grass fades, but the hemlock, spruce continue in their full wardrobe. As the sun fades into full sleep, and near Christ’s birthday on Dec. 25th, God blankets Epiphany with a white velvet that loves the cold. As sunlight hits the snowy cover, thousands of crystals begin a dance, like small puppets. In January and February, Epiphany’s grounds continue to have a splinter of white and dull darkness.

In March, the sun’s furnace is still stoked, but the elm, dogwood, birch begin to bud for their new outfit. In April, God showers the trees and earth, to be ready for the blooming that begins in May. The dogwood tree reportedly made the cross that Christ carried, however, God deemed that dogwoods would never be tall or strong enough to make a cross. God added a small red dot on each flower to remind us of the blood Christ shed for us.

Then, the sun bursts into its full glory, basking each plant with nourishment, and painting the grass greener. Epiphany is now in full bloom. The grass needs cutting, requiring a total of 11 acres mowed every week. Now, the sun begins its dip into sleepiness, Epiphany’s grounds enter another cycle. Its beauty is with us the year ‘round. That’s Epiphany -- always a gift of nature’s beauty from God to all of us.