Squirrels and Robins

I will study your commandments and reflect on your ways. I will delight in your decrees and not forget your word. Psalm 119:15-16 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8

Also take salvation as your helmet and the word of God as the sword that the Spirit supplies. Ephesians 6:17

I’ve been taking pictures for years (since childhood!), but more recently have focused on the beauty of our natural world. To meditate on this further, let’s look at some creatures we’re all familiar with: squirrels and robins. Squirrels and robins: we see them every day (well, most of us do, particularly in the summer months). Their commonality may cause us to miss out on their unique beauty. Do we also miss observing other things, like the beauty of our fellow human beings and the beauty of the world around us? Do we miss out on meaningful scripture, because it’s become so familiar?

The Wednesday morning bible study attendees were reminded of this as we studied the book of John. Comments made by some of us, including myself, reflected the fact that we may be familiar with oft-heard scripture passages, but we haven’t really explored them…we haven’t studied them. But when we do study these scriptures, they may take on a new meaning for us. We may see something we never noticed before. If we employ the Lectio Divina method of exploring scripture, something may appear to us that we hadn’t noticed previously.

What have you become so familiar with that you don’t “see” it anymore? What can you look at in a new light? What scripture can you explore further, to see what God has in store for you and your understanding?

Like robins and squirrels, it may be right in front of you, but you don’t appreciate its beauty.

Prayer: Dear God, help us to look at the world around us more closely. Show us what you’re revealing in scripture. Let us pay attention. Amen.

Donna Gustafson

(photos by Donna Gustafson)