Ode to the West Wind

My sister's oldest boy came to visit me. His visit was a surprise, as he had always come with his family. But just two of us were to have time together today.

His name was Rudy and he was my sister's first born, a little quiet and could be very serious. He had a perpetually young face with big blue eyes. He could laugh, but today he needed a little help. He was having trouble with a school paper and needed to figure out a poem by Percy Shelly.

I loved to read Shelley, so I looked forward to talking about him. We read "Ode to the West Wind" together. I believe he had trouble with the indirect images, as delightful as they are. Shelly could make dead leaves significant and beautiful. You can see them being blown about by a winter wind.

I suggested to Rudy that he should just let Percy have his way with language. He was, after all, a poet.

"But why doesn't he just say what he means?" was the question. I asked Rudy what these words mean, "The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind, If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"

He thought for a short time. "Things look bad now, but they'll be okay pretty soon." "You've got it," was what I told him. Shortly, Rudy said good bye and drove away in his father's car.

I wish people would look at Bible prophecy this way. If we see past the horrible things ahead--the winter of the human race--things will be "okay". We won't make them that way, but God will.