Inspirations From Nature

I’ve been wanting to get away and just sit by a quiet stream somewhere or by a magnificent waterfalls. I’ve longed for a day away from the routine of house and yard work, of care-giving and of our home business. I’ve wished I could just hole-up somewhere and sit and sing and listen. I might bring my drawing pens or writing materials and just sit and soak in the sun and shade.

This early morning I took the opportunity to step outside. The almost-summer air was cool and breezy. Clouds slid silently overhead arranging themselves in amazing shapes of swirly circles and swishes of wispiness. The circles—holes in the cloud cover—were opening that I envisioned the Lord Jesus Christ riding through on His white horse when He returns for His children.

But then the thought came to me…Christ does not need a hole in the clouds to come through when He returns. He will burst through the darkest most turbulent-appearing clouds and His light will contrast the darkness. Every eye shall see Him according to Revelation 1:7.

As I sat with God’s open Word before me the skies were full of air-traffic. I sat and listened and the wonderful things I heard are often missed by the human ear. the soft cooing voice of the turtle dove, the sweet “Tweedy-tweedy” of the chickadee, the contrasting caw-caw of the big black crow, the robin with it’s distinguished song, the ‘cheer-upping’ of the sparrow and the miraculous song of the mocking bird.

These and others filled the whole area with their unashamed song. It was then that my attention was called to their activities. Some where searching for their breakfast and for a means to feed their young.

I watched a turtle dove fly off into the distance, return and perch upon the power line where she surveyed her area to see if it was safe to dive into her hiding place with the pieces of grass and weeds she carried in her mouth. She flew in and out, in and out carrying her sought-out supplies for her nest. How hard she worked! She didn’t give up. She didn’t despair because we trim and rake our yards which made her job more difficult. She kept right on flying, taking time in between to preen herself and then she was off again.

I thought, how often do I want to give up in the middle of my projects. If I don’t get the days away that I long for, I have the opportunity to refresh myself in God’s presence just by stilling myself and coming away into the presence of God. I can sing in the middle of a testing day. I can keep on building my business when it’s not easy. I can keep watching for my Lord’s return, for He shall come in the moment, in the blinking of an eye.

God’s marvelous nature can teach us many things if we but listen.