Unexpected...from the Woods to Eternity
I have two surprises for you. Let’s call them unexpected…
The first is a bird surprise…unexpected.
The second while it can be connected to the bird-is a stand-alone truth forever. But we’ll use the bird to get there. Surprise one will lead us to surprise two. This too, is unexpected…only more.
Living in the North Country (of the United States, Canadians-no insult intended, your entire country is NORTH!), fall color is an annual event of beauty. We go outside to look for it. Reds, oranges, yellows, gold and all shades of these colors blended with still green leaves create a magnificent color palate. We are awed by fall colors.
Earlier this week my mid-morning goal was to photograph the colors of fall in the “north country.” Since we had observed brilliant colors on a color drive two days before, I knew just where to bring the camera. Arriving in the area, my next decision was where to park. Country roads have vehicle turn off areas called approaches. Think of them as a little driveway connected to the road. Approaches are usually slightly more than the length of a vehicle and twice as wide. They end at the edge of the road right of way. I parked at two different approaches and stayed to take photos from the second.
The second approach contained a surprise. Allow me to remind you there is a daily surprise waiting for you outside…every day. Whether we see and experience our nature surprise depends on whether we go outside each day. This time, I got my surprise. It is notable. You need to know about it. Because we’ll use this nature surprise to connect our thoughts to the eternal surprise.
My camera and tripod lay in the passage seat. Upon taking the camera out of the camera bag, I found my large telephoto lens attached to the camera. The photos of fall color on my mind for this event required my medium telephoto lens. I wanted to get close, but retain the panoramic view of fall colors. So, a lens change in the vehicle was next. Changing lenses takes less than a minute. By this time, my vehicle had been sitting on the approach for more than two minutes.
With the shorter lens on, the next task was to unzip the tripod case and take out the tripod. These details are important, they deepen the significance of the surprise. Now, all of the gear was ready, I lifted my head and did what is natural-gazed into the woods beyond the windshield. A movement caught my attention. It was a sparrow. It was close enough for a good photo. I opened the driver’s door and propped my medium lens against the door frame of the vehicle to steady the camera. I was not confident about how motion free the photos would be. Time has proven my advancing age produces camera shake…perhaps its the coffee.
Zooming in on the bird I took three photos. It was framed in fall color and the small tree branches it was perched on made lines which added more interest. After the first three photos, I glanced at the pictures just taken. They looked very dark. I stopped and bent my head to focus on camera adjustment, I added more light to the camera setting. I wanted to take more photos. But you know I was disappointed…the bird had hopped left on the branch. It was now mostly obscured by leaves. But I took more photos of it peeking through the golden rust colored leaves. They were not as good.
There were two surprises when the photos were transferred to our computer for editing. First, the dark photos came out surprising clear, and not dark when edited. Second, the bird, that sparrow, was a Savannah Sparrow. My guess is your cynical nature, same as mine, has kicked in. So, what? you ask.
Well, it is significant-Savannah Sparrows are birds of the field. This one was in the woods. It wasn’t moving. As I look at the photos, it seems to me the bird was tired-tired from migration efforts. Parking my vehicle, opening the driver’s door, taking its picture…it only hopped up the branch to get behind the leaves. Why was this bird of the grasslands-in the woods? Best answer…migration brought it to the tree in front of me. Were there other Savannah Sparrows nearby? I didn’t see any. But by now, my thoughts had shifted to fall colors.
It did not want to fly. Perhaps it had been flying all night.
The full impact of this nature surprise did not hit me until the photos were processed and the effort to ID the bird was completed. If you like birds, and good photos of them…there were two surprises for me. I did not expect a bird of the prairie to be in the woods. And it is difficult to photograph small birds. It’s hard to get close and if you are, they move before the photo can be completed. Not this time. The photos reveal a prairie bird in a forest, and they are remarkably good quality.
It never stopped watching me. But it allowed 6 photos.
Now let’s connect this nature surprise to the eternal surprise. Surprise! There are six parts to this eternal surprise. Begin with this verse of scripture from the Bible:
“The Lord your God is with you,
He is the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17
What are the 6 surprises found in the words of this verse?
1. God is with you!
2. He is a Mighty Warrior who saves!
3. God delights in you! (me too)
4. God quiets you with His love.
5. God rejoices-over you!
6. God rejoices and sings over you!
Not one surprise… Six!
Which surprises you most? Which encourages you most? These are not surprises from Santa Claus, nor are they from your generous grandparents, or an individual you trust. These are from God. Want to know the biggest surprise? While you may be amazed by these things…
These are not surprises.
They are promises.
A promise is a sure declaration.
These 6 are really guarantees because God makes them.
A guarantee is certain when it is from God.
Read the list again…and again later. Even later, memorize them…
Let the comfort of these promises fill your heart with peace.
That is the intent for which they were given. God has an infinite storehouse of surprises, and they are always good. God provides nature surprises that we may understand the eternal surprises which originate only from the Creator of all things. God’s motivation is love. We benefit-forever.
Just to the right of the Sparrow…brilliant fall colors.