Long ago, even before he made the world, God chose us to be his very own, through what Christ would do for us; he decided then to make us holy in his eyes . . . we who stand before him covered with his love. (Eph 1: 4)

I notice the contrast between the pine cones and the trees . . . so many more cones than trees. How were the cones chosen to become trees? Was there something special about them? Or did they just fall at just the right time, landing on the spot that would offer the perfect combination of light, shadow, water, soil, and room to grow?
Some cones thrive and grow, but even those that lie fallow and eventually decay are part of the beauty of the created landscape. We all are special, but our real specialness comes from the fact that we were chosen by God to be created and loved.
(c) 2015 Nancy Jagmin