Everything is Just Right

We all have things others have said which we remember. Some we remember long after the words were spoken.  A children’s author, whose books inspire me, once said she took daily walks, “to see how everything is doing.” Then there was the Public Librarian who once responded to my question about how life was going, “Everything is just right,” he answered. I was reminded of the words of both individuals yesterday.

Yesterday was the first official calendar day of autumn. A pristine lake near our home had been on my mind for many days. I loaded our kayak in the back of our pickup. It was a short drive. In moments I was on the lake in the kayak with my camera, a fishing rod, my tackle bag and two night crawlers nested in grass clippings in a bait box.

I have good news for you…its about what my eyes, ears, nose, and skin discovered in 60 minutes on a wild pristine Minnesota lake.

This is my list:

1.       Oh, the water! It was so clear the details of aquatic plants were vivid. Seeing the water clarity gave me a feeling of richness. It was the soil from the night crawler from my fingers. Water still cleanses. Water quality? Just right.

2.       Two of the photos show you the Whirly gig beetles-but only some of them-alive and well on the lake. There were not hundreds, there were thousands. You would have been thrilled to see them! Lake aquatic life? Just right.

3.       Then there were the colors. Sugar maple orange and red are what I had come to see. While not brilliant, the colors were there. These colors have happened every year at this time-all my life. I saw them yesterday. Fall colors? Just right.

4.       The wind was a soft breeze from the south west. With an endless blue sky over my head and the soft touch of the breeze on my cheeks, I was in high comfort. First day of fall weather? Wonderfully- right.

5.       Though my eyes were fixed on the colors and trees of the forest, the graceful movement of butterfly wings caught my eyes. Several monarch butterflies silently, flew above me in grace and splendor. Their flight paths were uniform…all were southbound. Now that is just right. Imagine the elegant black and orange monarch framed in a blue sky.

6.       My paddle carried me to the east side of the lake’s small island, just a little hill really. It is a basswood, oak and maple hill surrounded by blue water. It was here I couldn’t move. I have never been hypnotized. But I was mesmerized. I was entranced and spellbound-all at the same time. The quiet and peace was overwhelming. Picture sunshine on the trees of the little island hill. Add gently floating golden maple leaves traveling to earth for the first time in their existence. Hear the gentle breeze, feel it on your skin. See the Green Shield bug which landed for a rest on the kayak. It was more than just right-heavenly.

7.       Don’t forget to look up on days like this. The pale white and waning crescent moon moved slowly toward the western horizon. Finally, I had to turn for home. I was stunned by the view on one of the last glances upward before leaving the lake. A kettle of hawks floated in silent grace above me. A kettle is a large group. “Oh, this is a photo,” I thought. But it wasn’t. They drifted out of sight faster than I could pull the camera out its bag. Hawks flying together, southbound? That is ultra-just right.

8.       Was anything not, just right? I did not catch any fish. I would have released them anyway, and there was one half a night crawler sacrificed for bait…the other worm lives today in our backyard.

Here is my final report:

The first day of autumn proceeded perfectly. Migration is proceeding with order and continuous progress. Fall color change is on track to be at peak in the next days just like every fall. It was beautiful and peaceful. In summary the west central deciduous forest is clean, healthy and following the prescription of fall. Yes, “Things are doing, just right.”

How can this be you wonder? We can take God at His word given to us at the beginning of the earth:

“As long as the earth endures, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22

Need one more proof? Look at the rainbow. There are as many rainbows occurring at the same time as there are people on the earth with eyes to see them. One scientist answered, “billions and billions,” when asked how many rainbows happen on earth at the same time. Now read God’s words about the rainbow.

“Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.” Genesis 9:16 How many times every second is God reminded of His promise to protect life on earth He gave to Noah?

There it is my friends. I checked how everything was doing yesterday. Like my librarian friend would say, “everything is just right.”