Near death experience

The title of my post probably sounds a little extreme, but it was definitely a near death experience for the creature I rescued today.

This morning, after I poured my coffee, I went to sit in my recliner as I always do.  I pulled the curtain open so I could enjoy the hummingbirds at the feeder, as I do every morning.  This morning, however, there was a poor little hummingbird, looking quite bedraggled, caught in a very large spiderweb in the window.  It was no longer struggling, and I thought for sure it was dead.

I pulled down the window, grabbed the bird, which squeaked ever so pitifully, and I had to smack the REALLY LARGE brown spider away, because it obviously realized I was taking its breakfast.  I ran outside and began pulling off the cobwebs carefully, but quickly, because I didn't know how long it had been since she had eaten.  I could feel her heart beating tremendously fast.  After cleaning off her wings and feet, I flipped her back over and held her toward the other feeder and she took off like a shot.  WHEW!!

But, as I'm sure you can figure out, that wasn't the end of the excitement.  I then needed to take care of what should have been done days ago.  Here's the problem.  Two days ago, I discovered not one, but TWO really large spiderwebs, one on each side of the hummingbird feeder.  Of course, there were two large spiders, but I didn't really believe there was any real danger to the hummers.  I detached the webs from the feeders and went on my merry way.

Obviously, I underestimated the damage possible.  I know I do that with sin in my life.  Something so seemingly small can trap and tangle, and I don't clean it out of my life as I should.

I spent all of two minutes clearing away the webs and smacking spiders.  That small investment of time two days ago would have prevented the near death of a hummingbird.

A small investment of my time memorizing scripture and staying close to God will prevent future trouble in my life as well.

Abundant, lavish, overflowing

Yesterday was youth group day for my oldest.  He loves his group!  So when the leader asked for volunteers to make snacks for a special event, he jumped on the opportunity.  He made three batches of chocolate chip cookies.  As I helped scoop them out, I thought, "this is a bit crazy", but there were supposed to be lots of kids, and he was excited.

He returned home with a LOT of cookies.  As I put them away (more for us!), I wondered why it is that my son is always a bit "overboard".  If I send him to the store to get a loaf of bread, he brings me two.  If I ask him to bring me a box of pasta from the pantry, he gets two.  If I ask him to bring two shirts with him, he brings four.  It's annoying.

However, today it occurred to me that this is another one of God's traits that is seeping out from my son.  John 10:10 quotes Jesus, "I have come that they may have life and they might have it more abundantly."  1 John 3:1 says, "how great is the love the Father has lavished on us".  And Psalm 23 speaks to how God fills our cup to overflowing.

God doesn't just give us enough to get by.  We are blessed with His continual presence, His eternal love, and His omniscient perspective.  Paul reminds us in Romans that God, "who did not spare His only son, but gave him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"  Does this means we get everything we want?  No, but we definitely have everything we need - and then some.

I love when God oozes out of us.