Wild Meadow

Good evening sisters and brothers; 

Early this morning on my way to church the skies opened up. It was a heavy deluge of biblical proportions. Within minutes I noticed that the fields on either side of the road were beginning to flood. And as the rain continued to fall, I wondered if I would be able to take my customary run down the Wabash road later in the afternoon. 

By the time I came back from church the rain had stopped, but it had become very warm and muggy. I had lunch, changed into my running gear, and headed out for my run. My goal this afternoon was to run 5 kms in under 30 minutes. I missed the mark by a minute and two seconds. As I was walking back from the Wabash road, I noticed how beautiful the landscape is after a heavy rain. And as I entered our wild meadow , the sun, who had been playing hide and seek behind grey clouds all day, suddenly made an appearance. All the colours of the wild meadow became more brilliant and defined, as though I were looking at the land through a different lens. And in a sense , I was. Because of the sudden heat and humidity, steam was rising from the ground, adding to the sense of magic and beauty. The wild meadow was reflected in the millions of perfect raindrops that clung to the trees and grasses. And as I continued walking through the path that bisects the wild meadow, I noticed that the insect world had come to life. It was indeed an insect haunted afternoon, with dragonflies, ladybugs, and other winged beauties performing  complicated aerial ballets. And the birds were in a frenzy, chattering madly as they flew overhead, chattering madly. And the rain had brought out the tree frogs and toads in full force, and they were in the mood to be heard. The customary bunnies were out, eating grass, not straying far from the opening to their dens. 

I stopped to take it all in. 

The wild meadow is a beautiful example of God's creation. 

And as I drew in a long breath, something caught my attention. 

It was a large snake. It was breathtakingly beautiful. As I approached it, it coiled up , opened its mouth, and tried to strike me. I backed away several feet and studied it. Its scales had an interesting pattern, a tapestry of brown and yellow squares that had white highlights. It had a single tan stripe that ran from the tip of its tail to the base of its head. And its head was not shaped like that of a common garter snake. It was more like that of an adder, with its steely eyes positioned more to the front rather than to the side. I kept talking to it, making sure to keep my distance so as not to scare it. I was so pleased to meet the newest resident of the wild meadow. 

Every time that I walk into our wild meadow it is as though I am entering it for the first time. 

Nature is simply amazing. 

I see God in every blade of grass, in the graceful flight of Monarch butterflies, in the iridescent magic of fireflies on warm and moonlit evenings, in the call of the cicadas, in the red tongue of a snake testing the air. 

My prayer for you is to never take nature for granted. 

Be kind to all of God's creatures. 

Be kind to Mother Earth. 

One of my favourite hymns is called "All Things Bright and Beautiful" 

All things bright and beautiful
All creatures great and small
All things wise and wonderful 
Twas God that made them all. 

Each little flower that opens
Each little bird that sings 
He made their glowing colours
And made their tiny wings. 

The cold wind in the winter
The pleasant summer sun
The ripe fruits in the garden
He made them every one

He gave us eyes to see them 
And lips that we might tell
How great is the Almighty
Who has made all things well. 

All things bright and beautiful 
All creatures great and small 
All things wise and wonderful
Twas God that made them all. 

See the wonder of God's creation.
Remember the wonder. 

When we lose our sense of wonder, we lose ourselves. 

Let nature WOW you. 

Let us pray 

Be present O merciful God, and
protect us through the hours
of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and 
chances of this life may rest in your
eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen 

Your homework for tonight is to tell me about something you recently saw in nature that left you spellbound. 

Diosito me los colme de bendiciones 

Paz 

I love you. 

John 

PS It is important to read every day. 
What was the last book you read? Mine was a delightful novel called "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt. TThis evening I will crack open " The House of Broken Bricks" by Fiona Williams.