The pattern of our breath is a teacher. We breathe out in order to breathe in. We fall asleep in order to wake up. Trees lose their leaves in order to grow tender new ones. Every spring is as glorious as the last.
Azaleas always bloom just as brightly.
The cycles of loss in the natural world do not leave nature diminished. Loss need not rob us of our vitality either. Yet, too often, I know that I expect to be diminished when I lose something precious. I wanted to do this sermon in part because the first week in August is a time of many losses for me. I noticed that I was approaching it with dread.