On the First of December
in the Year of Nineteen-Seventy
in Graves County, Kentucky,
where December’s dawning
usually means heavy frost
or even warnings of storm and ice,
its coming came so nicely
that I did the morning milking
wearing tee shirt and jeans.

And as I carried the last heavy pails
of fresh Jersey milk from the shed
to the cooling tank at Jack Harrison’s place,
I remember looking around
at the frostless grass
and the tall bare oaks
silhouetted against a rising sun
and thinking,
“I will remember this day
for the rest of my life.”

And so far, God be thanked,
I have.

And whether the weather today
brings sunshine and unseasonably high temperatures
or a chilling wind that aches bare skin
and the bone that bears its weight,
I hope that this morning finds you
with warm memories of days gone by,
rugged hope for things to come,
and the guiding blessing of God’s own hand
granting you your daily bread,
faith, hope and love,
grace for you and those who sin against you.

May we all be led beside still waters
and away from all temptation,
delivered from every evil,
blessed with peace and wisdom,
grateful for every good and perfect gift,

and even for those that fall a bit short of that
yet are still part of this good day that the Lord has made.

Amen.

H. Arnett
12/1/17