THE HUMMINGBIRD REVISITED! 8/19/12

A FEW YEARS ago I wrote about an experience I had with a Hummingbird that was visiting our neighbor across the street. She was flitting from flower to flower when she spied me watching her as I sat on our porch swing, enjoying the sun. As I watched this little bird moving quickly about, she all of a sudden changed direction, and flew directly towards me and planted herself on the rail right in front of me. My deck at that time, had a bench that ran around one end of it with a support back. Underneath this bench was this rail, upon which my visitor sat perched, and began to lecture me.

I WAS so bewildered because I had never seen a hummingbird do anything like that. After she ended her tirade, she flew back to the garden. I watched more intently and again she changed directions and flew back to perch on my rail. This time I tried to talk to her! I asked her if she had come a long way to find the garden across the street. She replied but again I felt she was chastising me. She cocked her tiny head from one side, then to the other. She made a couple of tiny turns and then starred at me again. I had to laugh, because it all seem so absurd! Startled, she flew back to the garden! I continued to watch and she returned one more time. This time she just sat there and then she flew away. Needless to say, for several days after that I looked for her. She may have returned to the Garden but she never perched on my rail again.

THIS YEAR, the Hummingbirds have decided that our beautiful and profuse Hollyhocks have the kind of nectar they have been searching for. They are busy, busy, busy! Our neighbor on our left commented on the activity which drew my attention, and also down memory lane again. A question still bothers me about my visitor. Why did she do that and why was she so angry? Perhaps she felt threatened. Perhaps she had been making a nest and wanted to do that in secret.

I KNOW many of you have experienced these tiny miracles of life when it comes to observing the Hummingbird. Watching them is almost like watching something so unbelievable, and yet so real. My sister-in-law had a teeny tiny Hummingbirds nest just outside her back door. The nest itself was no bigger than a thimble and it sat upon a post that only God could create. It was so enchanting to watch this teeny tiny mother bird, feeding her teeny tiny baby in it’s teeny tiny home.

I THINK that God sends these little splashes of joy into our lives to remind us of who He is.  He is the one that created all things. He is the one that brought the world and all that is in it, into existence. God said let there be and there was! God’s sense of humor is evident with the fish in the seas; the birds in the air; the flowers and trees; the hills and mountains; the rock walls and rim rocks that circle the hills; the winds; the rains; the snow that falls so lightly; the changes of the seasons which delight our eyes; the smells that permeate our surroundings and cause us to remember. When God was through indulging Himself through His creation, He saw that everything was good! Then He looked around and saw that He wanted more!

SO HE created animals of all species; babies and full grown. Then His greatest masterpiece of all; man! Again, God looked around and saw that everything was good! Adam and Eve’s experience in the beautiful garden of Eden, must have come with puzzlement, wonderment, joy and awe. Genesis 3:1-24 gives us the story about how the perfect picture of Adam and Eve in the garden came to an end. Satan deceived Eve and she ate! Eve gave the fruit to Adam and he ate! Sin destroyed the beautiful world that God created for them!

GOD’S PLAN from the beginning, was for man to live forever in the garden. Today we can endure living in a sinful world, amongst God’s beautiful creation; because ultimately through Christ, we can live forever with Him in heaven. In the meantime we have questions, we are amused, we are amazed, and totally in awe as we enjoy God’s world. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 8/17/12