All Creatures Great and Small

And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens." So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." Genesis 1:20-2 

This week I saw the tiniest hummingbird I have ever seen at my hummingbird feeder. I have seen lots of these birds over time, but I have to wonder how it will fare on its long migration southward. Despite its size, it hovered at first and then landed perfectly on the feeder, ate like a veteran at the feeder flowers, and fought back the bees who patrolled the feeder. He will probably do well in the future, as he was perfectly and wonderfully made. This summer has brought an abundance of baby birds to my feeders. Some, like the doves, got dropped off by their mother and had to learn by themselves to hunt for the seeds. The baby blue jay had to figure out how to break into a sunflower seed. The baby sparrow had to give up begging from his parent and start fending for himself. On one of our hotter days, a baby sparrow landed on the birdbath and jumped in and just stood in the water.  

It is amazing to me how such small creatures can problem solve in order to survive and flourish. I have to remember that "God saw that it was good." When you observe the birds of the air, say thanks to God for their creation. Think if you have a favorite bird like a cardinal, a great blue heron, a loon, a hummingbird, or a multitude of others, and thank God again for the joy they bring to you.  

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are our creator as well as the creator of the earth and all it brings to us. You have done wonderful things, your power is throughout the universe, and yet you watch over the tiny hummingbirds. Remind us of your love by observing everything around us. Thank you. 

Nancy Hall