God’s Hand

   From my kitchen table I look out on our back yard in the mornings.  At times there are as many as thirty or more finches of various kinds eating at the bird feeders.  Mourning doves clean up the seeds that fall from the feeders.  Cardinals eat from the sunflower seeds left for them.  Squirrels clean up all the remaining seeds as well as the kernels of corn left for them.  Occasionally a rabbit will show up as well.  God’s creatures following the pattern laid out for them from the beginning of time.

   Just this week the robins returned to us.  There seemed to be a whole flock of them going through the yards eating the various insects and worms available.  At times the yard is filled with white ibis’ probing the yards for their favorite snacks.  These occurrences remind me of the cycle of life.  Birds migrate, some over thousands of miles; some, such as various species of swallows return to the exact same place each year.  Our lives are filled with change as well.  If we allow, God may ask us to migrate to other places to fulfill His will, just as He did Abraham.

   The camellias bloom each year just before Christmas.  Their beautiful red blooms remind me that this is the time of year when our Lord took flesh and blood, the Messiah who forgives my sins.  Their blooms last only a week or so reminding me that Jesus’ life lasted only a short while.  The knowledge that they will bloom again next Christmas reminds me that He will come again.  Red roses remind me of the blood He shed for me.  The thorns a remembrance of His pain and sacrifice.

   The sunrise and sunset remind me of new chances, each day an opportunity to find God.  The colors are beyond reproduction by even the finest of artists.  The sun rising from behind clouds with rays streaming through tell me of God working His miracles, sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes boldly.  The hand of God is there everywhere I look.

   The presence of God is everywhere.  If I will only open my eyes He is there.  In all these things I see the hand of God reaching out to me.

Father, Your majesty is beyond compare.

Your constant presence is evident in creation.

May I always see You in all things.

Amen