I wondered how the impala, now standing belly deep in water, knew the jackals wouldn't follow him into that pond. I wondered how the yellow billed stork knew to use one foot to stir up the mud beneath his feet as he fished all night for his sustenance.
As I continue to watch the wildlife periodically each evening and ask myself questions, I marvel and think back to a series of events I observed a couple year ago while watching a pair of eagles care for their three offspring. Again, this was all on the internet.
Next to the live video feed of the nest was a comment area or chat room where watchers could comment and visit with each other. On this particular day, the viewers expressed concern about a strong wind storm predicted to blow through later in the day. That was to be followed by heavy rains. People worried that the nest wouldn't hold together. They wondered if the parents or the babies might be blown off the nest. "How will they stay dry?" they asked in unison.
Before our eyes, we watched the answers to those questions unfold. We watched mom and dad eagle rearrange the grass and small twigs in the middle of the nest. We watched it became deeper as the sides became higher. Then mom and dad worked over the entire nest. pushing and pulling the large branches that made up their nest and anchored it to the tree. When they were through, that nest wasn't going anywhere and neither were the kids.
Soon the wind raged, the tree swayed violently, but one parent, covering the eaglets and protecting them from the turmoil, remained steadfast on the nest. I wasn't happy when I had to leave for several hours. When I finally returned I was confused by what I saw. There on the nest was what looked like a piece of black plastic covering almost all the nest, but I saw no eagles. What had happened? If I was looking at a piece of plastic, why didn't it blow away? Why didn't it even flutter in the wind? I was not only confused, I was now also concerned.
Then came the amazing part. From out of the gray, stormy sky dropped dad with a small fish; and from one end of that "black plastic" appeared a white head. Then, in a blink of an eye, that black, wet, shiny object morphed into the mamma eagle. While she gracefully raised her beautiful head, folded her outstretched wings back against her sides, and pulled her legs back under her body, dad began pulling strips of flesh from the fish. Dinner was served.
In a matter of minutes the three eaglets had eaten their fill without getting very wet. Then mom and dad ate what they needed. Dinner was over, the fish was gone, but the storm wasn't. Mom flew off for her time of R & R and dad positioned himself over the nest. Slowly straddling the young'uns, he settled in. Once he was sure the kids were all comfy, he spread out his wings to cover as much of the nest as he could. He stretched out his neck and head to cover more. Then he finally fanned out his tail, covering even more. For the next few hours he remained in that position, protecting his offspring from the wind and rain while he, himself, soon looked like a piece of wet, black plastic.
As I watched this adventure unfold, I, like always, asked myself questions.
How did the eagles know a storm was coming?
How did they know to make the nest deeper?
How did they know to check the strength of the nest?
How did they know how to spread themselves out to keep the babies warm and dry?
How? How? How?
Then came the whys, the whats, and the what ifs.
This eagle incident took place during a time I felt like my life was being lived in a violent storm. Like the eagles, I was in a survival mode. I was beginning to ask myself my own questions--my own hows, whys, whats and what ifs.
In the midst of my awe and amazement at the eagles parenting instincts, in the midst of my own personal storm with my own personal questions, God spoke to me--not audibly, but in that still small voice of his. There were two things I slowly realized. One is this. With God as my father, I need never be fearful of the storms around me because he know the power of the storm. He knows my needs. He will do everything necessary to keep me safe. What must I do? Stay in the shelter of his wings.
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The second is this. When mamma eagle went away for awhile, dad eagle took over, doing the very same thing the mother had done. She didn't leave them unprotected. She didn't have a hawk or sparrow babysit. She didn't send in the ranger to check out her nest. One just like her, one who had the very same heart for the babies, the same care and concern, was the one who took over for her. Isn't that what Jesus meant when he told the disciples he had to go away, but would send another in his place--one just like him?
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; John 14:16
There are several Greek words for "another", but the one Jesus used didn't mean another human, another male, another disciple, another Jew, it meant one exactly like himself, one who knows our fears, our needs, our desires, our heart. He sent a Comforter just like himself, part of himself, part of the Godhead. Wow!
I am so thankful for the lessons I learn from God's wonderful creation, and from this reminder he gave me today. Seek and find him in the everyday because what I may consider "everyday" is really God's special day.
May your day be a special God day.
Jan
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