The bird bush

The Message (Bible in contemporary language) speaks of God's extravagant love. (See the very last verse of II Corinthians)



I have found comfort in thinking of God's love as always present, as intelligent and good, as wise and caring. I have been humbled in thinking of God as Love taking the initiative in the lives of humankind -- the kind of love that runs to meet us when we're bruised or battered or discouraged, and looking for something more than sympathy.

But extravagant? I had to think about this. And yes, from what I've learned of God's love, it does go beyond the bounds of what's reasonable. It is consistently more generous than I feel I deserve.

There's a bush outside my office window which in the fall was full of little brown berries. The birds spent several days eating it clean. Even now in January, sparrows, juncos, a pair of cardinals and a blue jay all take turns flitting in and out of this bush. I love watching the birds.

It finally dawned on me that God has given me this bush full of birds to cheer my work day. It is a gift. Once I quit taking such lively activity for granted, it became an expression of God's extravagant love. Who else could, or would, think to give me a bird bush?

One day they vacated it simultaneously in all directions. A split second later a hawk landed on the bush. How thrilling to see him so close. He may not have been thrilled, as he didn't catch anything that time.

Another day an antlered buck came walking around the corner of the condo, and paused to look in my window. He wheeled and disappeared when I looked up in amazement. Wow!

It can be awe-inspiring to consider these as little love-notes from an extravagant God.

How do you find God's extravagance in your day?

Think about it

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
~ George Bernard Shaw

Or, to paraphrase, “We don’t stop learning because we grow old; we grow old because we stop learning.”
 

Or, “We don’t stop caring because we grow old; we grow old because we stop caring.”
 

Or, “We don’t lose our sense of wonder because we grow old; we grow old because we lose our sense of wonder.”

Something to think about.

A winter bush full of birds - awesome sight

Avian ballet

These amazingly beautiful starlings perform an aerial ballet. What is the collective intelligence that creates this choreography? And, perhaps equally important, that allows us to appreciate a bunch of little black birds doing something totally and incredibly beautiful?

Meeting the challenge of restoration

Nature refreshes my soul.

The 23rd Psalm says as much:

“You make me lie down in lush meadows near quiet pools… You let me catch my breath and then send me in the right direction.”

A heron fishes in a success story

The photo above tells a thousand words of water restored. The heron is finding dinner at the edge of what used to be a dirty barge canal.

Nearly two decades of focused aeration projects along the 16-mile waterway now attract herons, kingfishers, and ducks, as well as pleasure boaters.

People come from miles around to Palos Heights’ Lake Katherine. Recycled from an old gun club situated among rock piles left by the canal builders, Lake Katherine is a tiny jewel. The uninformed would never guess how effectively the waterfalls and lake pump healthy water back into the canal.

A green heron about to stab a tiny fish
in Lake Katherine

It’s an environmental success story that gets little attention.

With planning, care and commitment, slushy lives also can and are being restored to beauty, usefulness, and self-worth.

Home is where you find it

Robin nest on a porch swing

My parents' neighbors were surprised to find their porch swing had been usurped by enterprising robins.

The nest's location indicates that cats no longer prowl the neighborhood. Rules and regulations pretty much keep pets indoors unless on a leash. Evidently the bird family feels comfortable so near humans as well.

Robins are very sober birds. They are quite serious about finding their worms. They fly low from point A to point B, shortest distance. And they are diligent and attentive parents.

I got this shot with my phone (that sounds funny, doesn't it?). Apparently the three babies had just eaten. They huddled quietly and peacefully.

My prayer for this day is that all children feel the safety, comfort, and attentiveness their Maker intends for them. That especially those in war and strife find peace, safety, and shelter.