Earth Psalms - September 2011

A Hobbled Seagull
September 30, 2011 | 0 comments

A friend called from Hawaii and told me about a seagull on the beach.  She noticed one leg looked ulcerated.  The poor bird couldn’t walk at all, but flutter-hopped in its quest for food.  On closer examination, she saw fishing line entangled the legs, hobbling the bird.  She approached slowly, extending her hand in the hope she could remove the line and do something about the wounds.  Frightened, the gull flew off, legs still hobbled and infected. 

Sometimes we are like that poor seagull.  We become entangled in bad habits or addictions, in destructive relationships or all manner of fears.  We peck away at our daily jobs, trying to forget the pain.  All the while the infection of sin is growing and going deeper until it will destroy us. 

The seagull flew away from my friend who wanted to untangle the line and wash the wounds.  And we often fly away from those who want to help us, too.  Sometimes we turn away...

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Earthworms
September 23, 2011 | 0 comments

Whenever it rains, earthworms come up out of their burrows and squirm above the ground. Usually, I grimace and toss them back into the garden. Remember the old song: “Worms crawl in, worms crawl out…”  Worms used to make me think of death and decay.  Not anymore. 

Much to my family’s amusement, I read The Earth Moved by Amy Stewart about earthworms and what they do and was fascinated.  They rolled their eyes when I raved about these creatures.  Of course, most people have dissected worms in high school biology and learned a worm cut in half can survive and regenerate and even grow new body parts. 

But did you know ---

Earthworms alter soil composition, increase its capacity to absorb and hold water and bring increased nutrients and microorganisms.  Worms pass the top few inches of soil through their innards each year returning fertile casings to the soil.  Worms excrete excess calcium into the soil and calcium...

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Icebergs
September 16, 2011 | 0 comments

I’m still thinking about the beauty of Alaska.  Last week, I talked about glaciers.  Now, for icebergs. 

It’s an amazing thing to watch a glacier calve sections into the sea.    We can’t see a glacier moving over land, but we can see movement in the cascading ice that splashes into the sea.  The chunks float toward us, and a piece of jutting white ice shines above the surface.  The closer the iceberg comes, the more visible the rock-hard jagged-edged steel blue glows beneath.  Those edges are large and sharp enough to slice open the side of a ship. (The Titanic comes to mind, though I try not to think about a sinking ocean liner when I’m aboard one.)  Rick and I have flown over the North Atlantic and have seen icebergs the size of buildings!

What’s the point?  The biggest part of the iceberg is hidden beneath the water.

People are like icebergs.  We see a part of them, but the real person, the ...

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Glaciers
September 9, 2011 | 0 comments

While in Alaska this past week, we cruised into Tracy Arm to view the glacier.  Ice is clear, sometimes white, but a glacier has blue within it.   Over centuries, feet of snow are packed down year after year.  As weight and pressure increase, all the air is forced out of the ice until it turns an amazing blue. 

Glaciers move slowly, scraping away plants and trees, crushing boulders into gravel, reshaping mountains, creating canyons.  When the glacier comes to the sea, sections break off (cav) and fall, becoming icebergs in the cold green sea. 

You don’t see the glacier moving, but you see the evidence of movement.  We don’t always see the Holy Spirit moving within us, either, but our lifescape is changing.  Our decision to accept Christ as Savior and Lord may not seem to make a difference in our lives at first, but if we are willing and draw close to Him -- God uses every trial and tribulation from this life to transform us...

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