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| Morning mist surrounds our land. |
Today upon waking, I noticed that the mist shrouded the land around our home. This is typical for this time of year in the Mississippi valley here in southeast Minnesota. Early in the morning my wife Anne and I usually sit on the porch and enjoy our coffee before the kids get up. Our cat Toby usually follows us out where she waits for chipmunks to scurry by.
This morning I got up a little earlier than Anne and I found myself watching nature along with our cat Toby. Though our intentions seemed to be similar in appearance, they were much different from one another.
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| Mama wren watches me intently. |
When observing the beauty of nature around me, my eyes were drawn to the wren house that we attached to the pear tree limb. I silently watched the male wren bringing food back to the attentive mother who was covering her young in the birdhouse. She was dutifully looking after her babies, while daddy was out searching for grubs, insects and worms to feed his hungry family. As I watched the interaction of the two birds taking place, I could see the mother wren watching me through the opening in the birdhouse. Our exchange of glances was intermittent, and while she was cautiously observing me, a thought entered my mind. How many times do we in a similar vein, live like this little wren? The fearful little bird is afraid of me and watches for any move that I might make that could possibly bring harm to her babies and to herself.
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| Our growing pear tree. |
This little creature neither knows nor cares, that my little daughter painstakingly put so much time into painting the birdhouse so it was just right. It wasn’t aware that we chose the perfect branch to hang its home in the tree. Nor does it realize how we anticipated its arrival to the house that Abby prepared for it. It isn’t aware of the time that my son Will and I spent in planting the tree, with the hope that one day we could watch these birds with delight in making their home here.
In looking at our little wrens and comparing them to myself, it is somewhat sobering for me, to say the least, in realizing how I sometimes take for granted the home that God has created for me. He painstakingly knew exactly what I needed and what I would like. He chose the exact location for me to live in, even before I was born. God knew exactly what would make me happy and so he made my world for me to enjoy and to live a full life. And yet, sometimes like the wren, we take for granted the person who made this wonderful world that we live in. Many of us, like myself, at times do not take care of this world as we should, and we become fearful of a creator that wants only for us to enjoy the wonders he has made for our benefit. We, at times do not recognize that it was our Lord who made this home just for us, and who wants us to know the person who made our special dwelling place that we live in. God desires for us to be thankful for this wonderful gift he has given to us, and he longs to receive our appreciation from us, that is in worshiping our creator with a thankful heart.
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| Our pear tree is now about 35 feet tall. |
Unlike the relationship that I have with the wren, God wants us to know him and trust his presence in our lives. He desires for his children to see all that he has made and appreciate the beauty of his land. When Adam and Eve were first in the Garden of Eden, God asked Adam to name all the things that he had created for Adam. God then let Adam know that it was all for him and his mate. By having Adam name God’s creation, I imagine he wanted Adam to feel a part of the things that were created, and also to feel a sense of ownership. The same can be said of a child who earned the money to buy his car versus the one who was given the vehicle as a gift. I noticed this as a teacher and principle when looking into the school parking lot at times. Children, who had to save money by working hard for their car, usually took care of the vehicle better because they invested more of themselves into getting their car. We too have a place in the world that God has created for us. He desires that we do our part to make this world a little better. God helps us to see the value of the place where we live by helping us to understand the creator who made it. This in itself takes a concerted effort into getting to know our Lord, but like any relationship, it must have time and effort put into or it will never develop. Take time today to pray, listen to God and be open to his will in your life. Ask him what you can do to help this wonderful world that he has given to us. Be prepared for his answer.
Psalm’s 138:8 “The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. . .”
