I am always drawing analogies from nature. Can't help myself. After all, God did say this about creation: "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." (Romans 1:18-20, The Holy Bible, New International Version)
We can learn about God from nature.
The other day I was looking out at a bird feeder that overhangs my deck. What I initially thought was a cumbersome, ugly black bird was laying into it, while a compadre stood nearby, waiting his or her turn to pillage my delicate feeder, the perches sized perfectly for dainty chickadees. Almost immediately I saw that there was a little more to this bird. While it definitely showcased the harsh physiognomy of a blackbird; severe face and body outline and heavy weight, this bird looked a little different in the light. As the weak rays of an early spring day filtered onto its glossy feathers, something magical happened. Iridescent shades of purple, gold and blue reflected from the bird's otherwise unseemly form. I ran to my Tennessee birds guidebook. Apparently, what I had was a common grackle grazing at my feeder. Enchanted by his or her colors, I did not run the bird off, as I normally do when blackbirds of any ilk dare to profane my stores of birdseed.
When I see vultures by the side of the road, I almost always emit an involuntary shudder. They are the steeple bell ringers of death in my eyes. Something had to die for them to show up. Plain and simple. I put black birds in much the same category. They just look dreary, and seem to have no purpose other than to muck things up. They cast a black pall on whatever lovely tree they land in. The common grackle who ate lunch on my deck the other day reminded me of another time in my life, almost as dark and challenging as the present. This period was nearly twenty years ago. In the midst of heart-rending grief, confusion and pain, God was so present in my life. He showed up. He loved me. I felt tenderly cared for and I enjoyed wonderful fellowship with Him. His love in the narrows of life was like the gorgeous, shining, shape and contour changing glow of the grackle's colors.
God's love is like a hidden treasure in the center of a soul-wearying trial. Today I want to dig deep until I have my hands on it, feel the coolness of the priceless pearls of His fellowship running through my hands. I want to feel the joy of seeing Him work things out for me and for those I love.
We can learn about God from nature.
The other day I was looking out at a bird feeder that overhangs my deck. What I initially thought was a cumbersome, ugly black bird was laying into it, while a compadre stood nearby, waiting his or her turn to pillage my delicate feeder, the perches sized perfectly for dainty chickadees. Almost immediately I saw that there was a little more to this bird. While it definitely showcased the harsh physiognomy of a blackbird; severe face and body outline and heavy weight, this bird looked a little different in the light. As the weak rays of an early spring day filtered onto its glossy feathers, something magical happened. Iridescent shades of purple, gold and blue reflected from the bird's otherwise unseemly form. I ran to my Tennessee birds guidebook. Apparently, what I had was a common grackle grazing at my feeder. Enchanted by his or her colors, I did not run the bird off, as I normally do when blackbirds of any ilk dare to profane my stores of birdseed.
When I see vultures by the side of the road, I almost always emit an involuntary shudder. They are the steeple bell ringers of death in my eyes. Something had to die for them to show up. Plain and simple. I put black birds in much the same category. They just look dreary, and seem to have no purpose other than to muck things up. They cast a black pall on whatever lovely tree they land in. The common grackle who ate lunch on my deck the other day reminded me of another time in my life, almost as dark and challenging as the present. This period was nearly twenty years ago. In the midst of heart-rending grief, confusion and pain, God was so present in my life. He showed up. He loved me. I felt tenderly cared for and I enjoyed wonderful fellowship with Him. His love in the narrows of life was like the gorgeous, shining, shape and contour changing glow of the grackle's colors.
God's love is like a hidden treasure in the center of a soul-wearying trial. Today I want to dig deep until I have my hands on it, feel the coolness of the priceless pearls of His fellowship running through my hands. I want to feel the joy of seeing Him work things out for me and for those I love.
