If you are fortunate to have a garden, however large or small, during these times of pandemic, you have probably spent more time in it than usual. You may have noticed the creatures that share your garden with you, who either have made it their home, or are passing visitors. Observing these creatures, their habits and the way they live, can, I believe give us an insight into the nature of God and may enable us to reflect on our response to Him and to one another.
‘Mr Black’
My favourite birds are blackbirds, probably for their melodious song. Not quite so melodious was the squawking from Mr Black, our daughter’s resident male blackbird, that began at dawn and continued to dusk every day from April until just a week ago. The reason for this incessant noise was Bella, the cat, who lives in the house, and has basically been kept prisoner during daylight hours by Mr Black, because she was dive- bombed whenever she put as much as a paw out of the door! While Mr Black was fanatically attacking Bella, his wife, Cilla, calmly went about the business of digging up worms to feed their babies!
My daughter and family got quite fed up with this daily battle, and it has surely been a marathon, as Mr Black in his mission to increase the local blackbird population, had not just the normal two or three broods, but five!
I do have some sympathy for Mr Black. Bella demonstrated a great appetite for his fledglings last year, and it seems that blackbird’s memories are long.
My grandchildren took a great dislike to Mr Black – he would dive-bomb them too! So, I explained that he was only protecting his children, just as their Daddy would protect them if they were in danger.
That got me thinking about God’s protection of us, his children. Looking through the Scriptures reminds us that ‘the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end (Lamentations 3:22). We can look to him for strength in our weakness – ‘the Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts (Psalm 28:7) and ‘the Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid. (Psalm 27:1) Jesus reminds us that God our Father loves us so much that he gives us the good gift of his Holy Spirit. (Luke 11:12)
All of these are Father God’s promises to us, his children, given to us to protect us, strengthen us and nurture us.
Mr Black is tenacious in his protection and care of his children, just as God is tenacious in his protection and care of us. And it’s all about unconditional, overwhelming love.