Watch

Randy left his rock because a man with his dog were getting too close. He visited his duck friends but left again to be alone. Sometimes we need to be alone with the LORD; praying and watching.

Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

A lone wild goose flies over honking, but Randy remained in the shadows. He was in no mood for a wild loner, he wanted to get closer to the LORD.

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Psa 1:4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

On the dock, a cranky and reclusive Green Heron perches. He prefers to be alone, so he flies away as I approach. I used a telephoto lens to get this close.

Pro 9:12 If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it.

The lighter colored female rests with her handsome Blackbird mate.

Song 1:5 I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, as the tents of Kedar, as the curtains of Solomon.

If you want something to happen you need to make yourself available; so Randy paddles out into the open pond. The sun is shining and there is a gentle breeze. I left the pond for an hour.

Psa 101:4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
Psa 101:5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Psa 101:6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

When I returned to the pond there was a full congegation awaiting on the banks of the pond. Randy had been alone with the LORD and now it is time to share what he sees with others.

2Ti 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom 10:18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

It is good to be togeher reflecting on the glory of the Lord.

1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
1Co 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
1Co 13:11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
1Co 13:12 For now we see through a glass (mirror), darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
1Co 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Disturbing the Peace

Randy was alone this morning but he literally was standing on the rock.

Psa 18:31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
Psa 18:32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
Psa 18:33 He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

The geese family comes to be with Randy in the pond.

1Co 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Ask any pilot and he will say flying is easy but landing requires skill.

Pro 22:29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

They are excited to come together in their fellowship. Birds of a feather flock together.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Rom 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Skidding in for a landing with friends.

Psa 18:35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.
Psa 18:36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

Oh no, two men have brought their radio controlled speedboats to the pond.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Great flocks of geese alter their course. May day, may day! Instead of the pond they land on the river to avoid the noisy intruder.

Psa 34:14 Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Psa 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
Psa 34:16 The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
Psa 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
Psa 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

October brings the Salmon on our river. Instead of geese some seagulls make their way 150 miles from the ocean to scavenge on the spent Salmon. Eagles also come to feast on the salmon.

Psa 105:41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
Psa 105:42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham his servant.
Psa 105:43 And he brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness:
Psa 105:44 And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they inherited the labour of the people;
Psa 105:45 That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

The speedboat toy has gone. Randy's friends are still with him on the bank of the pond. Perhaps they are exchanging honks from a master teacher?

Mat 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Friends Like Angels

Randy the goose with the broken wing can't believe his eyes. He sees his old friends arriving by air.

Pro 27:8 As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.
Pro 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.

Aunt Myrtle is coming in for a landing, but has put on some extra weight. She has a good heart.

Psa 92:13 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
Psa 92:14 They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;

The sky is alive with friends coming like angels from heaven to comfort Randy the goose.

Luk 12:4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
Luk 12:5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Luk 12:6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

They are majestic like eagles as they land with grace.

Exo 19:4 Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.
Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

They appear covered by wings.

Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

How special to be in the company of old friends.

Pro 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Such beauty and strength. Although wounded, Randy admires and appreciates those who use their flying skills to their full potential.

Psa 96:6 Honour and majesty are before him: strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Psa 96:7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Psa 96:8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Psa 96:9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Some are swan like in their water ballet. Did I say Swan Lake?

2Sa 6:14 And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
2Sa 6:15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.

All the geese congregate around Randy and his duck friends. How comforting to be with friends who are like winged angels.

Eph 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The Misfit

The wounded Canadian goose swims in the pond. He survived some battle with an enemy, now he is left to himself.

Ecc 4:9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
Ecc 4:10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

The white ducks accept this stranger, but they do not quack the same language.

Rom 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
Rom 12:17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

The ducks have duck feet that move them more swiftly than the goose.

1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

The blackbird calls out to the goose. Do you hear the honking?

Isa 30:20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers:
Isa 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

He sure does hear, he honks back a reply as flock after flock of geese fly in to land on the pond.

Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

Wave after wave like Victory day in the sky.

Ch 29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.

Flaps out and landing feet in place.

Psa 8:4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Psa 8:6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

The pond has three or four flocks of geese on it. The misfit swims near them but is not part of the group, he is not one of them.

Psa 31:11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

Often we are with like kind, but somehow we do not belong like a stranger in a new church. Jesus was rejected too.

Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

The ducks return from grazing on the lawn; "are you coming with us?"

Joh 12:20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
Joh 12:21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Joh 12:22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
Joh 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

The misfit cannot fly with the others. Where does he belong now? He is alone, but has the ducks and the solitaire blue heron. God will take care of you now, he even cares for you.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Reconstruction

Crescent City harbor before the Tsanami.

Mat 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:
Mat 13:48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.
Mat 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,
Mat 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

The docks were full of fishing boats. Some are looking for work after being laid off.

1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;

The economy was not good but they liked what they did for a living. Some were boats for personal use and others were commercial fishermen.

Eze 47:10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

After the Tsunami hit Japan , the waves knocked about many boats and destroyed the docks. A steam shovel is dredging the harbor to aid in reconstruction.

2Sa 22:16 And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

Sections of the major docks were destroyed.

Job 38:8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?

There are still boats using the harbor. Do you see the cross shape? Reconstruction comes from God. Nothing good and lasting can happen without him.

Psa 125:3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
Psa 125:4 Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.