Wayward Turtle

I was taking a walk around the block with Marlayna when we came across a small turtle.  It startled both of us because we were just chatting away, and then suddenly he was there.  (It's funny how something completely immobile can startle you just by being out of place!)  He was on the side of the road, so Marlayna picked him up and put him in the grass.  We started to walk on, but since we were so close to the pond, she decided to take him closer to the water.  He was one of the cutest little turtles I've seen, and we see quite a lot with the pond behind our house.  He had a very rounded shell and bright orange markings.  I always wonder where they're going when they seem to be heading away from water towards a road or a field.  But I've seen people stop traffic on a busy road just to help one across.  These slow-moving little guys seem to bring out the benevolence in people.  They carry their armor with them, and yet they seem so vulnerable.  Maybe it's because they move so slowly in our fast-paced world that we take such a liking to them.  I don't know what it is exactly, but I know it makes me feel good.  And I found God today helping another little wayward turtle back onto safe ground.  

Sandpipers

Jeff and I drove over to the ocean today.  It was cool, grey, and overcast, but still beautiful with a light, refreshing breeze blowing.  We were standing there watching the waves when a crowd of sandpipers started making their way up the beach.  They were so comical!  Running toward the water, then away as the waves came in; their little legs moving so fast they were a blur.  One little guy broke away from the crowd and tumbled around in the surf a little.  Just as it looked like he was about to be inundated by a wave, he popped up and ran back.  I guess that was the daredevil style of birdbath!  He then rejoined his friends, shaking and spraying them with water.  We got such a kick out of watching them and were making up stories to go along with their antics.  They put on quite a show for us, and I found God today in those comical little birds.

The Cape

Marlayna and I had our first ceramics class last night (which we both loved!), and I found out I needed an apron.  I had an old one up in my closet somewhere, and when I went digging for it, I found a knitted cape from when I was a child.  My mom had one made for both my sister and I when we were in Greece when I was about eight (I think).  We also got these little knitted scarf-type hats to go with them.  I absolutely loved this set when I was a girl.  It made me feel like a princess.  It brought back such great memories of my mom, Greece, and all the excitement I felt whenever I got to wear it.  I found God today in my treasured little cape.

The Web

On my walk this morning, I glanced toward the marsh and saw something suspended in mid-air.  I got closer and realized it was a large bug caught in an enormous web!  My eyes aren't very good so I couldn't tell what kind of bug it was, but this web had to stretch at least 12-15 feet from the marsh grasses up into the tree above.  How do they do it?  That poor bug didn't stand a chance.  (I can only imagine the size of the spider that made that web!)  Humans have built some amazing things, but we've got nothing on spiders.  They can construct these elaborate webs in what seems like no time at all and then take them down just as quickly.  Personally, I can't bear creepy, crawly things, but that doesn't dim my awe at what they're capable of.  Yet another of God's amazing creatures.  I found Him today in that gigantic awe-inspiring spider web.

Silhouettes

Morning walks have been awesome lately with the cooler temperatures.  But the sky has been mostly clear which doesn't give you very interesting pictures.  Today there were a few clouds so I decided to take a few shots.  When I looked at them later, what struck me most wasn't the sky - though the colors were beautiful - but the silhouettes of the trees and plants.  Getting the shot you were going for is a great feeling, but getting something unexpected in your photo is even better - especially when it's as cool as this.  I found God today in the beauty of these silhouettes.

Three Bicycles

It was a busy day, and this evening I settled down alone in the house listening to the sounds of the day winding down through the open windows.  I was looking for God in my day and kept feeling the urge to go to the front door.  It was a beautiful sight.  The long, golden evening light filtering through the trees made a lacy image on the lawn.  Birds were calling, insects chirping...  And then a young boy of about ten, a little girl who was maybe five, and their father rode past on bicycles.  They passed in front of me quickly, but I was just in time to hear the little girl say "Daddy, are you coming?"  He said, "I'm right behind you, little..."  I didn't catch the last word.  But what a sweet moment.  The cute kids with their little bike helmets, and the little girl on her tiny, pink two-wheeler.  I'm sure she was feeling grown-up, though she couldn't have been long off the training wheels.  But still she was looking for the reassuring presence of her father.  Kind of like how we look to God, "Are you there?"  And in faith He answers, "Right behind you."  I found Him today on three bicycles riding through evening light.

Pre-Dawn Light

With the sun coming up later, I've been waking up while it's still dark.  This morning, I slept a little later and woke up just as the room was starting to lighten - probably only a couple of minutes past total darkness.  It was like an early morning twilight.  Our walls are a cream color, but the color in the room at that time was like a deep rose-grey.  I don't really know how best to describe it, other than if soft was a color, that would be it.  I felt such comfort.  I've read that this is the time when you're most likely to feel God's presence - just upon waking, still foggy with sleep.  And I did.  In that dim light, so still and silent, God was with me.  I felt His comforting presence as true as a soft blanket wrapped around me.  I found Him so surely today in the pre-dawn light of my silent room.