Seeing the Sparkle

The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. Psalm 145:18

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Phillippians 4:4

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

I lost a tennis bracelet two years ago, on a trip to South Dakota in the middle of winter. I retraced my steps following that trip, contacted businesses that I had visited, and even checked out a location after the snow melted in the spring, all in hopes that I would find my bracelet.

I never found my bracelet.

However, I think of grackles and other birds that like sparkly things, and I imagine one of them adorning her nest with that bracelet. A bit tarnished and no doubt dirty, it perhaps still sparkles & shines.

I think of unexpected losses as well as expected losses, unexpected outcomes, disappointing outcomes, and how we can seek God in these things. That may be a prayer for his comforting presence, or the encouraging support from another human being. Maybe our loss is another’s gain. Maybe we can’t see the “sparkle”, but someone else can. Maybe we can’t see the “sparkle” now, but we will in time.

Prayer: Lord, help us to seek You in times of joy, times of despair, times of loss, times of doubt. Amen.

Donna Gustafson

(photos of common grackles below by Donna. Click on photos to view larger.)