Issue 990 – Seasons – February 23, 2023
On Tuesday, Kathy and I travelled to Chilliwack’s Great Blue Heron Nature Preserve. According to their website, “The Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve Society manages 325 acres of wetland located on the only un-dyked floodplain of the Vedder River. The Nature Reserve is known for the large breeding colony of Pacific Great Blue Heron nesting onsite from March to July. The site also offers notable bird-watching opportunities and salmon spawning streams, which come alive in the late fall with Chum, Coho, and Pink salmon.”
Five walking trails connect with a more extensive series of other paths and loops, making for a great range of differing hikes.
Today’s image is of some of the nesting sites in the park. Each nest is approximately a meter in diameter. I couldn’t get close enough to take a clear shot with my phone as they asked people to remain on the trails. There are approximately 40 nests in this image, so perhaps a couple of hundred in this colony.
The trail that encircles this heronry is closed to the public when the birds are nesting (May through July.) It is possible to watch them through a remote camera system.
We saw a bald eagle resting in one of the trees, but I doubt one would dare to do so when the nests were occupied. Eagles are at the top end of the food chain, but I don’t think even they want to tackle 100 angry heron mothers.
The second image (not mine) shows herons at nest. Each bird is over a meter in height, and while typically quiet, I imagine the colony would be abuzz with noise and activity during the breeding season. That is very different from the seemingly dead silence of the off-season.
Like the heron colony, everything in life has seasons. One of life’s great constants is that nearly everything changes over time.
People go through life cycles and seasons. Infants become children, then teens, young adults and so on. If we are blessed, we live to long ages and move through a range of different phases in life.
God may feel distant or close. Sometimes it might feel that every prayer is being answered; at other times, we wonder why we even bother to pray. Our prayers seem to bounce off deaf ears and fall back to the ground.
The good news is that circumstances, feelings and seasons are not the arbiters of truth.
God is always present. He never stops caring. He never leaves us. He is omnipresent (always present), omnipotent (all-powerful), omnibenevolent (always generous, infinitely good) and omniscient (all-knowing.)
No matter what seasons we are going through, God has our back. He has His eye on us and knows the path for us.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
I don’t know what you face today or what season of life you are in. Your life may seem as barren as those empty nests or as busy as the colony during the breeding season. I know that God will never fail us, so we can hold fast to Him daily.
Hang in there, my dear friends. God loves you and has your back. His mercies are indeed new every morning, and He will never leave you.
Be Blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
Soli Deo Gloria (For the glory of God alone)
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2023 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).
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