Black bird, black bird, fly away home!

While enjoying the serenity of the north woods, I enjoy feeding the birds, as does my neighbor. We both have seed feeders and hummingbird feeders. The hummingbird feeders have found my feeders adequate and have graced me with their presence. They will soon begin their long journey south to warmer weather for the winter. My neighbor has lots of chickadees and finches at his feeder. I have none. My seed is as good as his and my feeders well stocked.

I don't have the coveted little birds but................I have black birds - lots of them! I came up from the dock to a loud noise - a board meeting of black birds right in my yard. They have found my feeders and have invited their friends and family to join them.

At first just my presence frightened them off. Then they became more comfortable with me and I needed to clap my hands. Next I needed to add the words spoken with force "Shoo, Shoo!!" to the clapping. I wonder if I'm a comedy act for my neighbors as I shoo black birds out of my yard?

My time resting was being interrupted as the need to clap and yell "Shoo, Shoo!!" came more frequently. As I stood at the window washing dishes yesterday, God showed me a lesson on value. Who says the chickadees and finches are more valuable? They may be more colorful, but if I look at the shiny black feathers of the black birds when the sun hits them, I see a banquet of colors.

God doesn't see the birds as having variable values. He sees each as unique, valuable, and having a distinct purpose in the community of birds.

I took this a step further to me and my community of people. God sees each of us as equally valuable, unique and God has a plan for each of us, a life plan designed specifically for me. God has a huge refrigerator which has the photo of each one of His children on it. If I take the time to look, I'll find my photo there on His refrigerator.

I've been inviting God into my time of sabbatical. I missed His lesson in the black birds a first but I get it now. They came to my feeders for a purpose specifically for me. They are welcome to stay!

"Rain, rain go away - come again another day. This was my lament. Dane was at a delicate place in completing a project. My campfire was just about perfect for the soon-to-be enjoyed s'mores. Rain wasn't in the schedule and not a welcome addition to our plans. No, God, please - not rain - not right now. Yes, the earth does need rain - but God...........I have these plans and rain doesn't fit them well. Could you wait until another time to rain? Wah, wah, wah, on went my whining until the downpour of rain told me strongly that God intended for it to rain and for it to rain right now - despite my plans. My plans didn't coincide with God's plans and His plans were best. Hum..........are there other areas of my life when I whine at God to change His plans to suit mine?

As I sulked in my chair under the awning, a bright light caught my eye. It was a rainbow, one of the most brilliant and wide rainbows I've ever seen. I have a passion for rainbows and sunsets. I have lots of photos of gorgeous sunsets, but not many rainbows. To have a beautiful rainbow, first there must be a storm. This rainbow seemed to come right up out of the Canadian mountains and it's arc was complete, ending out over the water to the east - just as bold at one end as the other. As I grabbed my camera to capture this gift, there appeared yet another rainbow, not as bright, but there, just the same. Two rainbows, a sight I rarely see!

Dane was able to complete his project just before the rain got really heavy and there will be other evenings for camp fires and s'mores. The rain that I saw as an intrusion was God's plan to bless me and to answer my request to Him.

I've been purposing to quiet myself, listen to God's whispers to me and look for ways He is showing up in my life for me personally. God showed up through the rainbow, but first I had to trust His plan, a plan that didn't match the plan I had for the evening.

Without the rain I would have missed a beautiful meeting with Him. I purpose to continue to watch and listen for God and to look at areas of my life where I miss His gifts to me because of my resistance to His plan while clamouring for my own.

Serenity

The fifth wheel is packed and ready and we will soon be on the road to our little place of serenity in the north woods. We've been going there a long time. I remember the first time I visited Sugar Island. We went with our dear friends, David and Carolyn Miller. They now own the property right next to us and Dane and David will spend hours in the coming days attempting to entice fish onto any variety of baits in their tackle boxes.

Back to that first time...........Carolyn and I each left our babies of about 9 months behind with Grandmas. David's 55 chevy had car trouble on the way up and we arrived on the island in the dark. Back then Sugar Island was lit at night mostly by God's stars which are magnificent, but not light enough for a frightened young woman whose been fed people- eating bear stories all the way up. Yes, there are bear on the island but I've yet to see one. I'm always looking the wrong way and miss them. And they tell me the moose couple and their young are much more to be feared than the bear.

Now back to that first time.......two young married couples, a tiny, tiny vintage Scotty trailer, two little babies left back home, no electricity, an outhouse for personal needs, and not near enough chocolate chip cookies to soothe the homesickness. My words as we finally left the island that year (1967) was "if I ever get off this island alive, I'll NEVER step foot on it again!"

It's now 43 years later and I've gone back often. As I re-check packing lists and to-do's for those last minute needs, I can hardly wait to return to my little place of serenity. A number of years ago, God orchestrated an opportunity for us to purchase one of the lake lots. We now have running water, electricity and a beautiful fifth wheel that contains every thing I could possibly need for camping. When our son visited us and I mentioned camping, as he sprawled out on the comfy couch, he said "OK Mom, let's get serious! This is NOT camping!" He was remembering the early days of 5 young children on the lot with no running water, no electricity, an outhouse and "joy bucket" as Dad called it in the tent at night. One year it rained so hard the tent filled with water and we woke up to soaked sleeping bags and pillows. The children loved it.... getting to fish in David's boat, our annual trip to the local Pizza Hut, the camp fires, with s'mores and pie irons and our annual trips into Canada to see God's wilderness and beauty.

So again, God has graced me with a time to rest my mind and body as I hear the loons calling and watch the bald eagles fly in and out of their nest just across the water. I'll sit on my dock, across from the Canadian mountains and create things with my hands while I rest my mind and listen to God speak His words into me. I am blessed. Little did I know that first year at Sugar Island, the story God would write through me and the love relationship that would grow between me and the island. I go again open to what God has planned for the next stories He will write through me.

And if God is generous, maybe the men will catch some fish for us to enjoy.........and if not, we'll soothe ourselves with our annual trip riding the ferry to the mainland to enjoy a cheeseburger and fries at Clydes or a triple waffle ice cream cone at the local fudge shop while we watch the big ships go through the Soo Locks on their way to the big water.