Issue 683 – Red-Winged Blackbird – March 14, 022
The fall air was crisp, and the morning mist weighed heavily on the lake, like thick grey wool. Off to the east, the sun was barely beginning to cut through the early morning darkness. I sat outside the tent, sipping my coffee and waiting for enough light to go fishing. No one else in camp was stirring.
The ducks and loons were awake and talking back and forth to each other. A squirrel was bolding going from campsite to campsite looking for bits of breakfast. The last of the evening bats swooped to catch a moth and flew away silently into the darkness. In the distance, I heard the sound of a grouse drumming.
The blackbirds began to sing their morning song. I’m not sure what it is about the sound of a red-winged blackbird’s call, but it is always a pleasant sound to me. I was reminded of the song performed by Cat Stevens (Eleanor Farjeon wrote the lyrics).
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain’s new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning God’s recreation of the new day
You can hear it at https://youtu.be/uZAsfB1Np-8
While there is a tragedy in the fact that Mr. Stevens missed the boat and turned to Islam, the lyrics of that song really capture the feeling of my frosty fall morning. I loved that song long before I became a Christian. Little did I know when I was praising God.
The author of the lyrics, Miss Farjeon, was a poet, writer and storyteller who passed away in 1965. I don’t know if she was a woman of faith or not, but something one morning stirred her to see God’s hand in the world.
God’s recreation of the new day is truly something to celebrate. No matter what the night before has brought us, we are blessed with a fresh start, a new beginning in the morning.
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 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 3:21-23
I can’t think of a single person who hasn’t needed a fresh start, a new beginning at various points in their life. Jesus is that start. Like the new day, he brings us a fresh promise.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
After the darkness of Jesus’ internment after His death and crucifixion came the new dawn of His resurrection. I don’t know if they have blackbirds in Israel, but I can’t imagine that the garden of Gethsemane was quiet that morning. I am confident that the birds must have been singing the triumph of a new day, even though they would not have understood His rising.
A new morning, a new start, every day. Praise God!
Until next time, I’ll borrow a line from Miss Farjeon, “Praise with elation, praise every morning God’s recreation of the new day.”
Hallelu Yah (Praise God)
Be blessed.
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 are © 2001, 2022 K. F. “Kevin” Corbin and Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the English Standard Version (ESV). Spelling modified to Canadian English as required.
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