The Fallen World

 There was once this place beside our half/mile long dirt drive way, yes, I have a looong dirt drive way, I love it. About the middle, from an aerial view, there's an S shape in our drive way, so that place has been called the S-curve since I can remember, and probably since my mom can remember; her family has owned this farm since she was 3. On the straight part of the S, which is approximately 250 yards or so, there is a grove of trees. 3 years ago, this grove had about 18-20 tall, elm, maple, and oak trees standing together like old friends. Many of their roots were visible above ground creating an absolutely Lord Of The Rings feeling. 
In the spring there were many types of grass that would grow there, blue grass, the thick velvet kind, normal yard grass and hay. The trees were so close together that looking up this is what you'd see.

In BIG patches, blue bells would grown everywhere under the trees, it was the sort of place you imagine spending a perfect day with someone you love. Perhaps a wedding ceremony would have taken place there someday.
Everything about this spot, the old trees by the dirt road, hanging over shadows, soft grass under your bear feet, soft springy breeze and purple, blue and pink flowers everywhere... Divinely made root seats, it was breathtaking.

The beauty of it all always left me reflecting on the Maker, and how He has the most amazing imagination ever to make something so great.

This wasn't the only place on my farm like this, many other places where just as gorgeous, thats why I always say I live on the most beautiful farm in MO, which is most likely the truth, not just a bias assumption.

3 years ago this April, we had a huge storm, some called it an "in land hurricane" because it was so bad. It lasted, oh, maybe 5 or 6 hours. I remember standing in my grampas living room watching the trees down at the river sway back and forth like noodles and then just snapping.
After it was done running its course, and the sun came out, everything was SO bright an green.
But everything was a mess.
I wanted to know how my favorite locations where faring. The trees at the S- curve, my fort, my climbing tree, the narrows, the volcano vain that runs down the side of our mountain, the cabin, the spring house and the tree's lining the river, our willow in the front yard. All those spots are held dear to me.
After much delay of clearing fallen trees from the road, and helping out people from the village clear places out so that we could all have access to town, we finnally went home. But right in front of the second cattle guard that over looks our house, a telephone pole had snapped and fallen. We didn't know if the wire was hot, but we risked our lives (honestly) and ducked under it to get home. Even if it was just to feed the animals, pack some stuff and head back to grampa's to continue helping the village people clear places out, and then to start on our own farm.
The S-curve, that gorgeous place, was a wreck. Trees were fallen all over each other, nasty sight.
Now stands about 10 trees, many of them missing huge branches.

Not many of them grow leaves in the summer now, their just old, dead, carcasses in the sky.
The blue bells come up in small sad little patches now.
The root seats are simply muddy sticks jutting out of the ground. No more over hanging shadows on the curve, no more plans of picnics and wedding ceremonies.
Now, 3 years later and a lot of clearing, it still looks sad and horrible. The cows don't gather there in the summer to find a rest from the hot sun.
No more bear feet skip over the flowers for fear of big branches falling on heads.
My fort was destroyed, 3 big trees, one beach and 2 cedars had fallen smack dab on the fort and rock castle. Yep, I had a castle too, it's about 4 feet high, sets on a bluff and loops around in an oval shape with as mall entrance to the side, my brothers build it a long time ago, but it looked so mid evil. My fort stood right in front of it on a much larger bluff over looking the small field and river.
Why does this sort of thing happen to such beauty, to something that was so perfect the way God made it?
We live in a fallen world.

John 3:19-This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Still..

1Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Even tho those places aren't as they used to be, I can remember and be thankful that they once where and I at least have some good memories of just me, sitting under the trees amongst blue bells reflecting on the Creator.

ps.
You might be wondering about the volcano vain I mentioned..? If you guys would like, I'd love to tell you about it all, and the rock thats found there that can't be found anywhere else in the world!