By Myrtle Thompson

Just over a year ago, I saw my first “beauty busy.” It was in the front of the house of my friend’s neighbor and was loaded with lovely red berries. My friend brought me a cutting in a small cup of dirt, a twig of about 6 inches. I kept forgetting to plant it.

The weather warmed, and it was time to put out some annuals. Oh, no! Hidden under the nandina bush was the cup and what looked like a dead plant. I put it in the ground, watered it, then placed the annuals around it. Soon it was happily growing into a large plant, blooming with tiny pink flowers, surrounded by the annuals. The change had brought about its survival. Now in late summer it has tiny green berries. I am excited, waiting to see its next stage of growth, berries turning red.

It also reminded me that God gives second chances to right our wrongs in this world. Out of what seemed like the plant’s death came new life. That is also the story when we give our lives to Christ.

My love of nature sent me on a renewed search to find what the Bible says about it. There were hundreds of references. First, life started in a Garden (I knew that) with “every plant, every tree yielding seed, every green plant for food” — every good thing we can imagine. As one Bible teacher said, “God was pleased with what He had created and exclaimed ‘That is very good!’”  (Gen.1:31). Soon the earth was teeming with all kinds of living creatures — birds and fish and creeping things, an amazing great assortment we can still observe today. I enjoy what I have seen of God’s creation.

I am not as avid a bird watcher as those who know their names, habitats and songs, but I have feeders, and from my kitchen windows I enjoy seeing how they relate to each other. Some crows remind me of humans. They are territorial and somewhat demanding. I watch them strut around as if in charge. If they are hungry, I will hear them cawing and throw out stale bread. A hard crust requires a trip to the birdbath to wet it. I call them “God’s clean-up committee.” Blackbirds are something else. A pair were nesting inside the vent of my neighbor’s house. One fluttered around, trying to get in. Within moments, a beak from inside opened a shutter. The blackbird was home with its mate.

Flowers in a hanging basket were wilting. I watered them with no success. I took down the basket and discovered a nest, the inside perfectly round, molded with clay, beautiful artistry, with eggs in it. How did the bird learn that molding technique? I let the mama bird have the basket for her babies. After they hatched, I heard chirping and noticed one could not fly. As if on guard, a parent bird stayed nearby, hidden under the bushes. Within days, what had first looked like a deformed wing had grown out. The baby, still trying, made another attempt, got to the top of the fence post and soon disappeared.

There are so many stories in the Bible about creatures of all kinds. Solomon wrote about ants. He reminded us to see how busily they work, storing up their food for winter.

When one of my amaryllis lilies was being eaten, I took apart the bud to see the cause. We understand what it means to be “sluggish.” At the risk of its life, a creature called a slug had made the trip of about 14 inches from the ground to the bud to get a good tasting morsel. I call that perseverance.

There can be no question but that God was the Creator Who gave every part of His amazing creation intelligence. We can take some lessons from them. He has also given us an abundance of things to enjoy. Psalm 92 says the righteous shall flourish — a term for growing — in the house of our God. Let’s join Him there to praise and give Him thanks! Remembering His creation will open our eyes to His greatness and Love.

 

Myrtle V. Thompson, 91, is a retired missionary, Bible teacher, educator and writer. Email her at mvtgrt@gmail.com.