POISON OAK

I saw it again today, the most beautiful specimen of poison oak I have ever seen. Against a dark fence post it stood out all shiny and crimson, demanding attention.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not a fan of poison oak – quite the contrary. I have had enough close encounters with the plant to know to stay away from it. I’ve had small rashes but the most memorable one was in high school when my left leg was so covered with poison oak that it was almost an inch bigger around than my right leg.

But the glorious red leaves I saw today reminded me of a story I once heard. One late fall day a couple came to enjoy the beauty of the redwoods. Toward the end of the day they came across a large patch of the most beautiful red, gold, and green leaves. The wife suddenly had an inspiration. Their church was having a harvest meal that evening and they could gather some and take it back to decorate the tables. Soon the couple had gathered several arm loads, put them in their trunk, and headed back to their church in the city. They were so excited that they had found the perfect decoration for the event!

As ladies were busy in the church kitchen, the couple joyfully placed sprigs of the beautiful foli