I have heard this verse preached several times in church, always talking about how David was where he should not have been, and as a result, he sinned with Bathsheba. This point was brought home yesterday as I watched a beautiful Sandhill Crane in our neighbors' yard.
We had just finished dinner, and I was cleaning up in the kitchen, when I heard some yelling from the dining room. At first I ignored it, since I figured it was sibling squabbles (and hubby was in there), but then I heard, "Mom! MOM!!" I ran in, expecting something bad to have happened, but I was told there was a "rare crane" in the neighbors' yard. I, of course, thought "crane" as in "machine" and wondered how it could be rare, then looked out the window to see what everyone else was seeing.
Wow! That was cool! A crane...not a heron...not an egret! I grabbed my camera and ran outside to see how close I could get. Pretty close! The thing was NOT afraid of me at all. We did some investigating and discovered it was a Sandhill Crane...and he (she?) was lost. As you can see by the map, there is no reason for it to be here. My thought is that it was blown off course in some of the recent storms, but that is sheer conjecture.
As I was watching this amazing creature, I started to feel a bit sorry for it. Yes, I know it's just a bird and that God has gifted it with amazing abilities to cope in challenging situations, but it struck me that it was lost and not where he should be. Because of his situation, he was without the protection that a group of cranes provides as he hunted for food, looked for a roosting place for the night, or tried to keep watch for predators. He was without the opportunity for a mate. Because he was not where he should be, there was probably going to be some sort of trouble - or at least, a much higher likelihood of trouble. There was a rocking thunderstorm last night. I am hopeful he was able to withstand the storm.
That's me. I try to stay away from PLACES I should not be, but controlling my thoughts and emotions from going where they should not be, well, that's often a more difficult challenge. And when the storm comes, those thoughts and emotions are exposed, without the protection of accountability, without the safety of being under God's wing.
I am thankful for the opportunity to see such an amazing bird, and I am thankful that God reminds me, ever so gently, of my human frailty and His awesome power.
Wow! That was cool! A crane...not a heron...not an egret! I grabbed my camera and ran outside to see how close I could get. Pretty close! The thing was NOT afraid of me at all. We did some investigating and discovered it was a Sandhill Crane...and he (she?) was lost. As you can see by the map, there is no reason for it to be here. My thought is that it was blown off course in some of the recent storms, but that is sheer conjecture.That's me. I try to stay away from PLACES I should not be, but controlling my thoughts and emotions from going where they should not be, well, that's often a more difficult challenge. And when the storm comes, those thoughts and emotions are exposed, without the protection of accountability, without the safety of being under God's wing.
I am thankful for the opportunity to see such an amazing bird, and I am thankful that God reminds me, ever so gently, of my human frailty and His awesome power.
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