I spotted a golden blur on the edge of the birdbath, which, upon closer inspection, was a honey bee, sipping water. Later, I heard a familiar clucking sound, and saw a chipmunk sitting upon a stone fence, calling for its mate. I recalled seeing him – or perhaps a cousin – in the same spot last year!
Nature is God’s calling card, so immersing ourselves in the natural world helps us know him better. When I say “immerse,” I don’t mean wilderness camping or mountain climbing, although these are fine for hardy souls. Folks like me can take a tamer approach and admire God’s artistry in the city.
There’s plenty of activity on the small patch of earth I call home. Hummingbirds float into my life in midsummer, resembling sparkling jewels with their scarlet throats and emerald wings. Before I began watching them closely, I thought they were peaceful creatures, but I’ve witnessed them in ferocious battles over the feeder. I’ve also seen their hefty relative, a hawk, splashing around in the birdbath, displacing finches and sparrows.
In the Book of Job, the connection between God and his creation is eloquently explained. “But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you …. And the fish of the sea will explain to you …. that the hand of the Lord has done this, in whose hand is the life of every living thing.”
Every October, the enthusiastic rat-a-tat-tat on the side of my house signals the arrival of the woodpeckers, who search for tasty bugs in the siding. I bang on the wall to discourage them, which works for about an hour, and then the drumming resumes. Late at night, the barred owls call out from the creek with a song described as “Who cooks for you?”
My cat gives me a glimpse God’s sense of humor, when he takes a nap, lying on his back, snoring lightly, with his paws in the air. He’s jealous when I put out birdseed and studies his rivals through the window, as if watching a nature show.
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first man to journey to outer space, and upon his return, he said, “I looked and looked and looked, but I never saw God.” The atheistic regime exulted in this statement and put up a poster proclaiming “There is no God.” But a priest who heard Gagarin said, “If you have not seen him on earth, you will never see him in heaven.”
For adults, the danger is forgetting the wonder a child feels, when a parent explains that caterpillars become butterflies, possums protect their babies in pouches and bees produce honey. Christ warned, “They have eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear.”
We’re surrounded by miracles, but must remove our blinders to behold them. Turn off streaming videos and take a walk by the creek. Rise early and witness the sun working its magic in the sky.
Picturing heaven as a bunch of fluffy clouds filled with harp-playing angels doesn’t intrigue me, because I envision the kingdom as a lush garden, populated with every bird of the air, fish of the sea and beast of the earth — and yes, that includes cats, napping on their backs with paws waving in the air.
Lorraine has written eight books, available online. Her email address is lorrainevmurray@yahoo.com.
