Birds and turtles

For the last three years, I've had a deep appreciation for and love of turtles. God used two ponds of turtles two continents apart to show me His tender faithfulness to keep His promise, that He will finish what He has started, slowly and steadily working until all the pieces have fallen into the right places. 

So my heart warmed all over again when my son and I spotted this turtle on one of our bike rides, though we found it hiding in its shell, waiting for a safe chance to cross a busy parking lot. We picked it up and set it back down in the grass, where it took off quickly toward a small stream nearby. 

God has always used nature to speak to my heart.

This spring I've developed a newfound fascination with and appreciation for birds.

While sitting on my porch for long periods of time each morning this last spring, I absolutely loved listening to the variety of the songs they sang to me all morning long. Each type of bird carried a different tune, a different chirp, and a different volume. With so many people stuck at home during the shelter-in-place, I saw a greater variety of birds flying around, as well. A particular blue and white bird that I haven't figured out what bird it actually is has been spotted all over my neighborhood, and I'm amazed at the creativity, artistry, and careful attention God gave to every last detail in just one type of bird. I've caught at least one or two visiting me on my porch for a few seconds, and each time I wish it would stay put so I could just observe it more carefully. I've noticed a lot more beautiful red cardinals flying around, as well.

The first few birds that caught my attention in early March made me think of the verse, Matthew 6:26, that states: 

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Such a timely reminder that even in the midst of all the COVID fear crippling the whole earth at once, God used his birds to remind me that He still took care of and protected me.

Then I did a Bible study with a friend during that time called Draw Near, a study that led me to various Scriptures about how God so clearly and boldly speaks to us through the nature all around us, how the skies declare His glory, how the sun continues to rise and set right on schedule, over and over again, how science reveals His incredible attention to every tiny detail and pattern so everything works just right. That study opened my eyes in a new way to everything He created all around me, every tree, every plant, every flower, every insect, every animal, every sunrise and sunset, every full moon, every star and constellation, and yes, every bird. I started taking notice and thanking Him for His creativity, for the way He uses so much color and beauty as an expression of love to me.

We're living in a crazy time right now, thus why it's so important to seek Christ more and more, to seek and be grounded in Truth, and to grab hold of hope. My normal social channels are either filled with hate and shame tactics (mostly over politics) or ways to spread anxiety (thinking we are just spreading awareness re: COVID, masks, scary stories, and now the ever-so-complicated reopening of schools). I read some, I ignore some, I bite my tongue/fingers on some, I like and comment on some, I agree with some, I disagree with some, and I'm angered by a lot. I'm personally on a mission to hold onto hope and to spread hope, because no matter what, hope isn't cancelled.

A simple turtle and hundreds of birds reminded me of that. Look around you. What parts of nature is God using to speak to you? If you focus on looking for treasures, you'll find them. If you focus on looking for trash, you'll find that, too. It's all a matter of what we choose to see.