Too buggy to work in the yard collecting seeds, so editing instead. Thought this story would be a blessing to someone:
Woven
Mama
cardinal with her orange beak
hunting
for dried grasses she now seeks
woven
together into a nest
where
one day brown speckled eggs will rest.
Behind
the trumpet vine
is
where you can now find
the
nest being woven
started
early one morn.
She’s
a master at designing.
She’s
heard singing while she’s weaving.
With
grasses her home is knit
as
she sings out chit-chit-chit.
She
does weave expertly
and
waits expectantly
for
she knows what’s ahead.
Her
husband is bright red.
One
egg was laid sometime Thursday.
Another
one spotted Friday.
Still
another egg seen on Saturday.
Brown
speckled in the woven grass and hay.
Mama
cardinal sits on the woven nest
while
red plumed papa cardinal seems to rest
in
the nearby lilac bush.
I
can see his feathered tush.
A
surprise today – another egg was seen.
Mama
now returns where she sits like a queen.
It
seems the woven nest is too small
for
these four brown-speckled eggs so small.
As
she wove the grasses together
her
life is being woven for her
for
she’ll have four offspring
to
raise two weeks this spring.
I
wonder if she’s excited to be a mama?
Does
she talk about it with her offspring’s papa?
He’s
always someplace nearby
when
you look toward the sky…
sometimes
in the budding lilacs, sometimes seen on the fence,
sometimes
in the weeping cherry if I happen to glance.
Sometimes
I can hear him sing “cheerio-o-o”
as
encouragement to his wife he often shows.
Out
the back door I now go.
There
mama cardinal goes.
Chit-chit-chit
can be heard
calling
for papa bird.
Here
comes red papa
talking
to mama.
Cheerio-o-o.
Cheerio-o-o.
Chit-chit-chit
mama
chats.
Cheerio-o-o.
papa
sings out low.
I
can hardly wait to see
the
baby cardinals wee.
Just
12 more days it will take
to
see their most ugly face.
They’ll
be all beak and no feathers.
Only
a parent could mother
love
for their ugly mugs
ready
for a parent’s hug.
These
babies lives being woven as they are taught to give
when
their parents teach them the essentials of how to live -
to
wake up early with a glad song in their heart
so
humans can begin their day with a fresh start.
*
* * * *
In
the Bible story of old it goes
we
read about an upright man named Job.
Satan
planned to trick blameless, fearless Job
into
abandoning his faith, we are told.
You
see Job’s life was being woven together
by
God who does have a good plan and purpose for
each
and every problem we do face
for
our life is woven by God’s grace.
The
Master Designer has a good plan
for
every human – each man and woman.
He
knits our life together
with
happiness and troubles.
It’s
in troubles we learn to depend
on
our God who will be there to fend.
We
learn God will be always faithful
as
He bestows blessings by the handful.
Not
only will we learn patience through our difficulties,
we
learn about God’s everlasting love, joy, and peace.
We
learn to be kind, good, faithful, gentle and
we
learn needed self-control – all God’s good plan.
In
the New Testament Jesus told (Simon) Peter
that
Satan asked permission to sift him as wheat.
Just
as with Job, God had a greater purpose for Peter.
God
knew that difficulties would one day hone Peter's faith.
We
read about God’s greater purpose in I and II Peter
where
Peter encourages us in our trials and troubles.
Peter
was given a greater portion of God’s grace
to
deal with the many difficulties he would face.
God
has a good plan and purpose for us in weaving together
what
might be construed as buffeting from Satan, the deceiver.
As
with Job and with Peter, God is refining us to come forth as gold
so
that we will give God the glory and end up with a testimony bold.
Your
life, too, is now being woven
by
the Master Designer.
Listen
to these words God has spoken
(who’s
the polisher and refiner):
God
is for you and with you
and
will never leave you.
God
has a solution for your problems
but
first you must give them over to Him.
You
are not meant to bear your burdens alone
for
burdens will leave you weary and worn.
Learn
to view your burdens as unrecognized blessings
for
burdens should bring us to God instead of stressing.
And
that’s exactly where the blessing lies –
when
we seek God first He will surprise
with
peace and joy for our life -
a
life lived without strife.
What
was sent from Satan as testing
will
have turned into a blessing.
When
up against a brick wall,
or
when you feel you might fall,
when
life seems null,
learn
to view all
your
disappointments,
and
appointments
as
God’s weaving -
it
will end up pleasing
for
God has a good plan and purpose,
one
which spoils Satan’s ruse.
Try
not to dwell on the here and now.
Look
beyond to the end for somehow,
in
God's time, He has a purpose for us
that
can only born out of trust.
Our
troubles will weave for us
faith
believing, which is a must.
Faith
is meant to be active,
not
ever to be passive.
Faith
will grow as we daily trust
in
God who has a good plan for us.
Believe
and give God glory
for
you are writing God's story.
Others
will see
your
faith and believe.
Your
troubles
then
have purpose.
God
will abundantly bless you
for
giving Him glory too.
The
fruit of the Spirit is
love,
joy, peace,
patience,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness
and self-control.
Galatians
5:22-23
Satan
has asked to sift you as wheat.
But
I have prayed for you, Simon,
that
your faith may not fail.
And
when you have turned back,
strengthen
your brothers.
Luke
22:31-32
He
knows the way that I take;
when
He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
Job
23:10
Never
will I leave you;
never
will I forsake you.
Hebrews
13:5
Cast
all your anxiety on him
because
he cares for you.
I
Peter 5:7
I
know the plan I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans
to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans
to give you hope and a future.
Then
you will call upon me and come and pray to me,
and
I will listen to you.
You
will seek me and find me
when
you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah
29:11-13
To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol II
go to WestBow Press, Amazon or B&N.
To order Life Is a Garden Party, Vol I
go to Amazon or B&N.
