Sunday morning has come in a piercing brightness and unseasonable chill. Diamond points of light glint from the lake's surface right outside my door.       My "pet" anhinga is croaking and fussing his protests at an erstwhile fisherman who has cast line into the water near him.  The anhinga has been patiently spying out a possible breakfast just beneath the water's surface fifteen feet beyond my screened porch.  He cannot bear that the human advantage will have taken so quickly what his earnest, patient bird efforts have not been sufficient to obtain.  The unearned advantage of opposable thumbs to manage pole and line win out again.

On the days pain limits my coming and going in the world, I love being able to sit at my computer and look beyond the chairs on my porch to see the great Florida birds sweep the sky and search the shallows.  Across the little lake, a great blue heron, a molty-looking ibis and a snowy egret vie for places among the reeds.  I'm at the narrower end of the lake, only 50 yards or so across at this point.  I have a good view of their bossy behavior and avian antics.

Each day registers a war of sorts to establish temporary domination of a bit of grass and land with its inherent fishing rights or a truce of sorts between the conflicts.  As I look at the birds of the air -- for which the Lord says HE has care as for all the rest of HIS creation -- I see that same animal propensity that is so much a part of our natural human lives.

Any "domination," any momentary appearance of being one up on any one else or any other group of people only wins us the briefest of respites from conflict.  Tomorrow will bring renewed insurgence, our loud, croaking protests and maybe a daring dive or two at the next upstart invader.  This striving for dominance is never-ending:  the desire to establish a hollow hold, however transient, either on a much-desired morsel of food or a bit of dirt and grass to call a home for now, goes on and on.

HE says, "I am the Lord your God, shining upon you," and we make war and fight to establish domination and win that morsel of food in the bright blessing of that Light.  What if I choose to make no war forever?  Will it work?  Will not my animal instinct win out someday?  Will not my desire to protect and feed my offspring send me out again to croak my protests at the clumsy encroacher or willful usurper?

HE also says we are not "obligated to our human, instinctive natures, to live under their control."  I weigh that against the moral responsibility placed on my knowing mind as a mortal remade in HIS image and wonder where and how the truest, best balance is established.

None of us can answer that question for any other.  We can only answer that question one soul at a time as we bring it to HIM and, believing where we cannot hear or see, trust that the path of peace will be made evident and that "our faltering steps" -- whether toward peace or love or simple acts of instinct-defying kindness -- "will be made sure and straight."

I cannot be "in church" today.  My Psalter and my prayers will be recited at the distance ordained for me.   Persistent pain and troubling exhaustion that will not go away keep me from the company of celebrants I meet with when I can to remember the Lord's life and words and resurrection.  But there is always the first "tabernacle" not made by human hands from which we can learn what HE would teach us.         So, this is what I saw today in church, and I wanted to share it with you.  You can pray for me and I can pray for you.  Nothing in this wide world can prevent that connection.  HE will even send HIS angels to guard such a holy conjuction of our souls and keep it safe.                                     ************************ (You may publish any articles from this site as they appear with the following byline intact.  Please advise me by e-mail if you decide to use one of these articles on your site or in an e-zine.)      After 30+ years in public ministry as missionary, pastoral counselor, homeschooling mentor, writer and editor, Georgia Ana Larson now focuses on an internet-based ministry and business founded in grace and expressed through mentoring others who have a similar desire to work from home, nurture a family, build a business and stay faithful to a deep interior Call to have a life of devotion expressed in service, no matter what context. You can read more of her articles at her home site:  www.aBrighterCandle.com

Web www.aBrighterCandle.com Copyright © 2006 Georgia Ana Larson, All rights reserved

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