Sometimes what a verse means changes when the world around you very strongly points you to a meaning and a feel that you haven’t considered before.

I have taken to walking through the orchards in this lovely winter dawns and twilights.  I was doing it Saturday morning when Genesis 8:22 came to  my mind.

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

That’s the KJV at its poetic best, one of those verses that stick in your mind forever

It was particularly poignant because my dad and I had just been reading about tree crops and a description of a Corsican village surrounded by chestnut groves where they have a rhythm of life.  Every year men plant a few new chestnuts they will likely never see the full crop of until they are old.  Every year they cut down a few of the oldest trees their father or grandfather planted.  He and I have been planting a few  more trees and just finished cutting down the gnarled ancient plum that  had finally died, and it all seemed very poignant.  Like our chores were on the edge of eternity.

Then when the sun rose and I walked home, the kids came down for scripture study.  We read this passage from Moses 1–

And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose;…

For behold, there are many worlds that have passed away by the word of my power. And there are many that now stand, and innumerable are they unto man; but all things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them….

The heavens, they are many, and they cannot be numbered unto man; but they are numbered unto me, for they are mine.

And as one earth shall pass away, and the heavens thereof even so shall another come; and there is no end to my works…

It felt like the top of my head had come off and my soul was exposed to endless space.