An isolated spot, a big tree and a blue sky with big puffy clouds. It’s all part of the simple pleasure of childhood. With the only exception being a spot in the higher elevations of the mountains (where I actually saw ice flowing out of a spring. Winter has finally ended. The near eighty degree weather has arrived and there’s just the right amount breeze coming out of the southwest. It’s time to open up the windows, shoo away the doldrums of the grey and lifeless seasons left behind. Breath in the fresh air and cleanse your spirit. Bathe your eyes in the cool green of the new growth. Watch your step as you stroll along the wooded path. The sleepers have awoken. There, in soft mossy beds by the trail. Orange with red spots. It’s an eft lumbering on its way to the pond where it will transform into a tiny aquatic dragon and lurk among the sunken roots and branches. He’ll join his cousins, the frogs as they gather for a chorus before the next rain. It’s a very good day indeed. It’s real life. And, it’s happening now.
Tag: Natural Life
Be Still and Know
“Be still, and know that I amGod: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalms 46:10
King James Version (KJV)
Sometimes it’s hard to simply be still. As humans, we are creatures of action. We want to make things happen on our schedule. We desire to crack open a situation and “fix” it to fit into our plans. However, it’s not our plans that need to be completed. God has a plan and He is able to complete it. We have all had the experience of the over eager helper who means well but messes up the plan by doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. Or even when it’s right thing but at the wrong time.
Imagine that you have a classic car and you’re preparing it for a show. Your child wants to help and you’re overjoyed. Now, imagine that you’re soaping up the driver’s side and you look up to find the child waxing the unwashed passenger side. There’s a big smile on his face because he’s giving you his best effort and he’s proud because he hasn’t missed a spot. How often do we mess up God’s plans by trying to help but not doing it at the right time? How often do we try to polish a soul that God is still cleaning? I know that the verse above is normally quoted by folks who mean to inspire a sense of peace but there are times when God is simply saying “Step back a minute, I got this”. In those times we need to step back and let God deal with it.
A Squirrelly Post
Things get a little nuts on certain days. The crazy schedule of modern life can really drive one up a tree. I have driven over 130 miles and worked a full shift on my day job. I’m really ready to just hang out at home.
Okay, before I get too squirrelly with the puns let me tell you about the photo. This little guy lives in the woods behind my dad’s house. The property is crisscrossed with old logging trails that are perfect hiking. The squirrels are actually very curious and they are certain that they are true landlords here and need to check out anyone who dares to trespass. I really wanted a good shot of one of deer that roams the old home place but he wouldn’t allow it. Every few seconds or so he would pop up from the other side of the tree and chatter at me. These are not like the squirrels you see in the park that come up and beg for food. They do not like intrusion into their territory. There’s been a few times that they actually have thrown nuts at me from high in the tree tops. After I took the picture I moved on and let him win the debate. I have a whole forest to explore. Certainly he deserves to be the king of his tree.
Not So Silly Geese
I learn a lot from watching nature. Take geese for example. They have no complex language (as far as well know) and yet they seem to have the ability to maintain social cohesion. Maybe not as perfectly as some other birds but they do seem to function as a single unit. What’s more is that they seem to take turns at being the leader with relatively little conflict. If you watch closely as that V formation flies over or swims by they shift position with the leader creating a wake for the rest of flock to cruise in. I know the science of how it helps them to travel farther but it amazes me how there’s cooperation. I think that the secret is that each bird knows that their own well being is dependent on the well being of the flock. In turn, the well being of the flock depends on the well being of the individual. If the flock loses a member that means that the unit can’t travel as efficiently during migration. I think it’s the interdependency between leadership and followers that maintains the balance. That’s a lesson we should all learn.
Splash
What you do in life matters. Our actions and words create ripples that travel outward and interact with world around us. Try to make a splash in the world but make it a positive splash. Eventually, those tiny waves will rebound back to you.
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