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When I was a young mother, our youngest son, Wade, had a yellow t-shirt that said, “Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.” Since he was a fan of Winnie the Pooh, it’s very possible those words were made famous first by Winnie himself.
As an adult, while visiting Oregon, I became breathless when I stepped on an upper ridge, edging Crater Lake. I saw the brilliance and clarity of the sky reflected in the brilliance and clarity of the serene blue water! Splendor and beauty! Attempting to capture that memory for perpetuity, at the gift shop, I bought a t-shirt that said: “Advice from a Lake” with very good advice: “Be clear * Make positive ripples * Look beneath the surface" ….and so on.
These days, as Bill and I share morning prayer in our sunroom, prayer is often interrupted by one of us calling out “Hummer!” We both pause for that precious moment of wonder. Sometimes I just sits in wonder.
If I were to make my own t-shirt, it would say: “Advice from a Hummingbird.” Find sweetness in beauty * Hover where you are fed * Take yourself lightly * Don’t try to do anything else while you are eating * Stop and look before you get too close * Don’t take more than you need * Simplicity is sweetness * Be adaptable * Seek balance in all things.
“Seek balance...” was inspired by “Curly” (do you name your feathered friends?) Curly is a small hummingbird with a very short bill. When she comes to the feeder it appears that she is not as easily balanced during the hover as are her hummer friends. So she curls her little toes on the perch bar by the nectar (sugar water), seemingly for balance. Hummingbird feet are tiny miracles of adaptation. Surely, this is one of the most inspiring wonders of hummers’ adaptation. Take advice from a hummingbird.
Most often we end our morning prayer with praise for our creator God, and the many signs and wonders of God’s love. “Splendor and beauty mark his craft….This God of Grace, This God of Love.” (Ps 111:3.4 The MSG)
--by Jan
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