An Egg is an Egg Until

 

photo courtesy of Pixabay

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. ~Psalms 139:14 KJV

A friend of mine posted a picture this week of a swan walking around Lake Junaluska, NC. Its majestic swagger was evident even in a still photo. I wondered if he was looking for a mate or a place to show her for a nest. 

I follow the Wonderfilled Days blog, though I no longer teach or homeschool or even have children at home, I love reading her explorations and connections to children's literature. The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White was a literature connection recently. She brought to the reader's attention that at the end of most chapters, Sam posed a question, a thought provoking question. 

    "I don't know of anything in the entire world more wonderful to look at than a nest with eggs in it. An egg, because it contains life, is the most perfect thing there is. It is beautiful and mysterious. An egg is a finer thing than a tennis ball or a cake of soap. A tennis ball will always be just a tennis ball. A cake of soap will always be just a cake of soap until it gets so small nobody wants it and they throw it away, an egg will someday be a living creature."

~The Trumpet of the Swan

We value so many things, our grandmother's china cabinet, or our dad's '67 Mustang. We value the homerun baseball signed by our favorite player and the concert tickets from that special night, but how valuable is a life? Tennis balls, fragrant soap, china, cars, signed balls, and tickets are just stuff; even those with memories attached are still just stuff, but an egg, any egg, is life itself. It will grow and transform into that beautiful cygnet, a bluebird, a salamander, or a platypus. Watching a mother robin tend her nest and seeing the newly hatched chicks is one of my favorite childhood memories. But these are not the only eggs that contain life. 

We may not be able to see the horse's egg or our dog's egg, or even a goat's egg, but they all originate as an egg. Neither can we see the human egg inside the mother's womb, but it is there growing with God forming the little person's every detail. He creates each human with love and a purpose. Whether there is only one child or twenty, whether the child is born into a family or adopted, a child is still created with purpose and loved by God. 

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. ~Psalms 128:3-5

So much is happening to destroy the lives of our children physically, mentally, and spiritually. The swan builds a nest six feet wide to lay her eggs and protect her cygnets. The cob (male swan) swims close by, guarding her and the young. Like swans, we need strong homes with watchful fathers and mothers who "fuss" over our families.  I pray we watch carefully over our children from conception to their flight from our nests. 

Father, give us a new heart for children and families. Help us guard them against Satan's entanglements and create a home where the wonders of the Lord and His salvation are shared daily. In Jesus's name. Amen. 

Hey Kids: 

Have you read The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White? Perhaps you have had it read to you. 

Did you notice the questions Sam thought of each night? 

He wrote them in a journal by his bed and pondered them as he went to sleep each night.

When he wondered about eggs, he also wondered how the bird knew how to build a nest. 

Take some time to go outside and watch as spring brings new life. Watch as the birds, insects, and other animals prepare homes for new life. 

Create a journal for your observations and questions. Ask for help finding literature about your questions. Add quotes from the literature or Bible verses that support your observations and questions.

Wonder at the wonderful world God has created for us to enjoy and to teach us of His great love. 

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

 

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalms 139:14

I LOVE SNOW!! Even though I live where it only snows once or twice each year, it’s enough to keep everyone on their toes all winter long, watching the clouds, sniffing the air, feeling the deep chill, trying to remember how many fogs there were in August and what color the wooly worms were. Y’all don’t do that where you live? Oh, I’m sorry. All that adds to the fun of waiting and wishing and watching. While I'm waiting I like to create a few paper flakes to hang in the window. If you need help making snowflakes, just Google the word snowflake and you’ll find lots of ideas. I found an out-of-print book called Zoo Flakes ABC by Will Howell. It shows how to make animal snowflakes – a cool book. The point being, there are a zillion ways to make a snowflake. By the way, there are more than a zillion real snowflake shapes.

Snowflakes can be flat or 3D. They generally have 6 sides, but no two are ever alike. God put a lot of effort into making something so tiny and intricate. We can’t even see the details with just our eyes. Before microscopes and cameras, no one probably knew the details of just one tiny snowflake. But God knew. He cared. He wanted to show everyone and anyone how much He cares about His creation. If He cares so much that He takes the time to make every little snowflake different, just think how special we are to Him. He created every person differently. Even identical twins are not exactly the same. And it’s more than just our looks. Our personalities and talents are different. God made each of us unique with a special job to do. He cares what happens to us. He sent His only Son to die for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins and spend eternity with Him. Snowflakes melt, but we are His unique creation with an eternal soul. How much more special God has created you and me! We are the epitome of all His creation.

Make a few snowflakes for your windows this week. While you’re at it, thank the Lord for making you special. Ask Him what plans He has for your unique talents. Then, keep your ears and eyes open for God’s direction. 

Father God, thank you for the beautiful snow you have so wonderfully and uniquely made. Thank you for creating me with unique talents to serve your purposes. Help me pay attention to your leading so that I use those talents for your glory. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

A Year's Worth of Soap

 

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. II Timothy 2:15 KJV

Many of us are making or have made New Year's resolutions. Often, we think we will read through the Bible in a year or we look for a new devotional book to inspire our walk. Many people substitute a few words from a devotional for Bible reading because they say the Bible is too hard to understand. There's nothing wrong with reading a devotional so long as we are also reading the Word. Even the Apostle Paul praised the church at Berea because they read the scriptures daily to make sure what he was saying and writing was true (Acts 17:11).  

I use the S.O.A.P. method. It usually takes 20-30 minutes. Then I do a five-minute devotional. I'm often surprised how well they mesh together. 

Here's the journaling method I do with my Bible reading. 

S. Scripture - I prayerfully read a chapter and allow God to impress one or two verses on my heart. I copy that scripture as the heading of the day's reading. 

O. Observation - In my own words, I write my observations about the context of the verse. In other words, I retell the story. 

A. Application - How has God impressed upon me to apply these verses in my life? 

P. Prayer - I write my prayer asking the Lord to help me apply the things He is teaching me.

The verse I chose today was from John 12: 1-11 with an emphasis on verse 9. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. 

My observation was that people came to see Lazarus because he knew what it was like to be dead and then come back to life. They probably had questions like; "Did you go toward a light? Was it scary? Did you hover around and watch people as they mourned for you? Did you go to paradise or heaven?" One of the biggest takeaways I had was that Lazarus was a man just like the people and they wanted to see someone whose life God had resurrected from death to a new life.

My application became my Christian walk. I say I am a Christian and people watch me every day to see how God has changed me, how He has delivered me from a lost/dead state to a new/resurrected life in Christ.

Usually, folks don't really come to church looking for God. They come because someone invited them. People want to see how God can change us in such a way that we are new people/creatures in Christ. They've never known what it is like to have their lives completely changed. They are curious to see how it works. Am I a good demonstration? 

My prayer was of course personal and individual but here are my thoughts.

Heavenly Father, help me demonstrate my life in Christ every day so that others might see the wonderful change Jesus has made in my life because I have asked for forgiveness and salvation. May others be so affected by the change that it would cause them to turn to Jesus as well. In Christ Jesus's name. Amen