Loud Enough to Be Seen





 Loud Enough to Be Seen

I know yesterday I told you about running out of propane and how it all worked out so well. What I did not tell you is about the cardinals.

I was running around the house trying to make sure I had all the necessary paperwork. I was feeling anxious, even though the temperatures were staying up, even over 50 overnight. The weather still was expected to drop back to the single digits the next night. Now I have horrendous hot flashes and I sleep well in the cool. Ross does not. Since we found out he has cancer, he has been cold and worries a bit about being excessively cold, which is very understandable. So I was a bit stressed.

Suddenly Ross says, “What is that crazy sound outside?” Then he asked, “Is that a cardinal?”

“Yes,” I told him, “I can hear him loud and clear.” I looked out and found him in the treetop closest to the house, and his mate was on the other side of the house in the apple tree. Now if he would not have made so much loud noise, we never would have seen them. But he was LOUD.

And you know what? I understood.

I felt peace like a river wash over my soul.

Cardinals are a very rare sight here. We have only seen them three times in six years. Once when my mom moved in with us, we saw just the male—just two days, loud and often. Mom said Dad approved of her moving up here. I was happy that she felt it was a sign she did the right thing. Then a couple of years ago Mom passed. That was our first time seeing a mated pair. Just two days after she passed. They came around for two days.

Then Tuesday, as I am gathering all our paperwork to go to LIHEAP and get emergency help with propane, there he is—loud and making sure we saw him. When I got in the car, I spotted her in the apple tree, and a wave of truth flowed over me.

Everything was going to be fine.

We had propane by noon!

God is good all the time.

Amen!

God uses nature to speak. In Matthew 6:26, Jesus specifically tells us to “look at the birds of the air” as proof that God provides for and values us. Seeing a rare bird at a moment of need is a classic “look up” moment that points back to His watchfulness.

Comfort in grief: The Bible calls God the “Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). After losing my parents, feeling a sudden sense of peace is often the Holy Spirit—the Comforter—meeting me in my sorrow.

The peace that passes understanding: In Philippians 4:7, it says God’s peace will guard your heart in ways that don’t always make sense to our logic. Feeling “all will be okay” while our heat is out and we were carrying so much is exactly what that supernatural peace feels like.

Signs of His presence: Throughout the Psalms, nature is described as a way God reveals His glory and presence. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” suggesting that the natural world is a constant broadcast of His reality.

So next time you think you are crazy for seeing signs in nature from God, remember the above verses. God is in nature, just like He is in us if we recognize Him and desire to live like Him.

Sometimes He speaks softly.

And sometimes… He makes sure He is loud enough to be seen.

Amen!

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being a God who sees us, who knows our needs before we even speak them. Thank You for meeting us in our stress, our grief, and our uncertainty with a peace that goes beyond anything we can understand. Lord, help us to slow down and notice the ways You are speaking—through Your Word, through others, and even through the beauty of nature around us.

Bring comfort where there is sorrow, warmth where there is fear, and provision where there is lack. Strengthen Ross, Lord—wrap him in Your healing presence and Your peace. Remind us daily that You are near, that You are faithful, and that we are never alone.

Let our hearts remain open to You, ready to trust, ready to listen, and ready to obey.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

hallowed be Thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

forever and ever. Amen.

BELIEVE, OBEY, BE BLESSED, AMEN.

BOBBA

Love, Penny 💛 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dunamis

Image
  Fun Deuteronomy 31:6 “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Joshua 1:9 “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” Psalm 27:1 “The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?” 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” Being strong and courageous is not always the problem. Staying focused on God—and not every small problem that erupts into our lives—that is often the greater challenge. We fret over so much: our finances, our car, our home, our family near and far, our church family, our community, our nation, and the world. Then we add the illnesses that develop from the stress of these burdens, alon...
Read more

A Soft Heart Before God

Image
   A Soft Heart Before God Psalm 95:8: “If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Psalm 51:19: “A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, You will not despise.” Luke 18:13–14: “The tax collector… beat his breast and said, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Hosea 6:6: “For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” We live in a world that often rewards hardening ourselves—becoming calloused to pain, stubborn in our opinions, and defensive of our ego. I truly understand this, because my stubbornness can sometimes be a stumbling block, but other times it is my strength. Knowing the difference takes prayer and honesty before God. I moved 18 times in 15 years at home with my parents. As adults, Ross and I hav...
Read more

Besieged but Not Defeated

Image
  Besieged but Not Defeated Psalms 31:21-24 Praise the lord, for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love. He kept me safe when my city was under attack. In panic I cried out,     “I am cut off from the lord!” But you heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help. Love the lord, all you godly ones!  For the lord protects those who are loyal to him,  but he harshly punishes the arrogant. So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the lord! Psalm 31:21-24 Psalms 37:3-7 Trust in the lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the lord.  Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. Be still in the presence of the lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about th...
Read more