Julie's Raintree

"Midnight at the Oasis"

The days have been absolutely pulchritudinous (remember that new word we learned a couple of posts back? 'Beautiful'!)

Perfect days too, warm, hushed, blue vibrant skies, brilliant colors of orange, amber, scarlet, gold, darkened greens, that slowly soften into muted burnt orange, different shades of brown & henna. The colors slightly change every day as we notice when we take the dogs for a walk in the pasture.

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We love the daily turkey tramps across the grass, tossing out their 'pier pier, pier pier' greeting. We love the shy & gentle deer but we have learned not to put pumpkins anywhere within their dinner bell reach. It's one of their favorite foods & can reduce them to nothing, not even leaving a pumpkin seed!

The days are shorter now, giving way to the longer hours of darkness, also giving way to cooler & crisper weather that beckon sweaters, jackets, long underwear in our neck of the woods, scarves & gloves. The fireside begins to call us to the hearth, for a cup of hot tea, a good book, the contemplation of quietness or melancholy thoughts. Autumn for me is the harbinger of coming change, whether expected or not, welcome or not, precursors of winter seasons. There are also seasons of the heart. Where are you right now in the season of your heart? Is the time morning or night? Is the climate cold or warm? Is it dawn or dusk? Is it dark or black as midnight? Are you unable to see your hand in front of your face? Is the loss so deep that it seems there's no way back from it? Is the suffering so intense that you can't see past the dementedness of it? Does it seem like morning never comes after the weeping that is supposed to endure for a night? Is the midnight so black that you feel like you're tipping over into an eternal abyss of hopelessness? Then take heart dearest one.

"The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart. He saves those who have a crushed spirit." Psalm 34:18

"He heals the brokenhearted & binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3

Jesus said in Luke in 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted..."

The title of this post is a song that was recorded in 1973. The Lord brought it to my mind the other day, & as He loves to do, brought a redemptive message to the title that He gave me to give to those of you that He led here, because He wants you to know that He knows your name & knows where you are & knows your pain, your loss, your sin that took you where you never wanted to go, & the darkness is a vast all encompassing midnight. & He says to you, "Come. Bring your midnight to Me." Precious one, it's time to spend your

"Midnight at the Oasis".

Oasis meaning: asylum, sanctuary, refuge, retreat, haven, harbor, sanctum, shelter, mooring, fortress, stronghold, windbreak, hideaway, something that provides protection or relief

All of these are descriptively beautiful of Jesus, our Oasis. Your Oasis. Seasons, times of weeping, times of loss, times of mourning, yes, for us all. But there is Jesus, our Oasis, THE Oasis, waiting to calm our storm, to embrace our hearts, to restore, to heal, to deliver, who KNOWS our pain because He's "been there, done that." He's here to kiss the 'owie' & say "I know how to make it ok again." wiping away every tear, giving sweet peace & blowing on the ember of hope that says, "This comes to pass..." & to pass through. Because at the end of every midnight comes 12:01. A.M. & that means a lovely new morning, a new day, a new beginning. & it will be good. Midnight at the Oasis. Midnight with the Oasis. Oh yes. It will be good.