Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future that only He can see.
Corrie ten Boom
I don’t want to get lost in semantics, but if I were to say that last summer I spent a lot of time walking, or last summer I walked and explored an urban oasis, both statements would be true but one has more feeling. Life often depends on what we see and how we describe it and also what we choose to look for.
For example, in all that time I spent walking, it took several weeks for me to notice the green pastures and quiet waters promised in Scripture that I had been blindly passing each day. When I finally opened my eyes to the truth unfolding right around me, the wonder of creation surprised me with the discovery of a red-winged blackbird that became the beacon of a long, hot summer.
Glory, it wanted to be called, and rightly so, this regal and bold paint stroke of red and black among the souring greens and browns of the sun-scorched landscape. Finding Glory was a point of every day. Whether taking shade among the branches and leaves; fanning and circling, swooping and diving; or looking out from atop a lamp post, this bird had a focus and intention I could simply admire.
Around late August, Glory flew away, and as of about two weeks ago, I’m happy to report that Glory is back – red, black, and beautiful. Obviously, there is a migration pattern at work, yet I marvel that Glory returned to these quiet waters and this urban green pasture. Why? Because God wanted it to.
