American Bittern

I was blessed with a very special treat this morning.

An American Bittern landed in a nearby tree and posed for my inspection.

Thankfully, my bird book had a picture of one to help with identification.

And a search on the internet confirmed my suspicion.

My LORD’s creativeness continues to amaze and thrill me.

I’m so thankful that He designed an abundance of wildlife.

I’m so grateful for the delights of discovery and exploration.

Elusive

If gathering plausible plans together is brainstorming,

then my mind is a clear, blue sky.

I do have a few wispy, elusive clouds hovering near the horizon.

If I mix metaphors, then I can seek seeds for thought.

And then I can seed the clouds….

Participate

When I’m not listening, I do not hear what is being said.

When I’m not watching, I do not see what is right in front of me.

When I’m not waiting, I do not notice when the time is right.

I have a stake in what happens each day.

I’m supposed to be personally involved.

I have choices to make.  Or, I can ignore possibilities.

I’m praying for wisdom and discernment.

I want ears that hear, eyes that see,

and a heart that responds correctly.

Erroneous

I have poor judgement. 

The tree, that I assumed was dead, is budding.

Sometimes I love to be wrong.

Finding life in unexpected places inspires hope.

I need to reevaluate some of my thought processes.

Jumping to erroneous conclusions propagates foolishness.

For now I will just rejoice and be thankful for life.

Object Lesson

I started the day with an object lesson.

My flowers were droopy.  They sagged limply against the vase.

They needed water, obviously.  So, I gave them some.

Then I sat down at my desk, opened the curtain, got out my Bible

and started to soak in the word for my own sustenance.  

While I was being energized and refreshed,

I noticed the flowers were also responding.

Now my tulips are standing upright as a reminder of joy and beauty.

They no longer slump over from neglect.  They have what they needed.

Shift Gears

Too much waiting

can swiftly turn into too much weight.

I had to think quickly.

I did not want my day shanghaied by a bad attitude.

So I decided to enjoy the parade, literally.

I experienced a front row seat from the comfort of my car,

for about forty-five minutes.

I learned not to drive into Charleston

on Saint Patrick’s Day morning

unless you can shift gears and join the celebration.