A Gift Of Blue Herons

James 1:17 – Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (KJV)

A ravine abuts our back yard, and, as the years have passed, the trees have grown taller. It has long been a home to crows, and for some reason on Sundays they always seemed to hold what I called The Crow Convention. Hundreds would gather, squawking and chattering for a couple of hours.

In early spring I'd heard a new sound, but, being too busy, didn't take notice of what it might be. A bout of sciatica, however, slowed me down, and as I gradually got back on my feet, I noticed a beautiful blue heron or two take flight overhead about 8:10 in the morning and come home about 6:10 at night — and they were landing right in the trees in the ravine in my back yard!

Sciatica is a funny thing: some days are worse than others, and it was on those days I would go out on my deck to rest and watch the performances put on by the now-increasing numbers of herons. They would land in the trees and talk back and forth, spread their majestic wings and lift off, circling, swooping and swooning each other.

My back began improving, and the blue herons were gone as quickly as they had come.

I read that herons are family-oriented, bed down early, sleep through the night, and are early risers. Their two natural enemies are crows and people. As well as being home to the trees, the ravine is also a beautiful trail from the highway to the beach, and, as the weather warms, people travel the trails at night. I suspect that the crows in the morning and the people through the night drove the herons away. They were there and entertained me when I had the time to appreciate them — and for that my thanks be to God — for their presence was a gift that hadn't graced this area ever before.

Prayer: Our heavenly Father, we give thanks for those gifts you give us in the times when we most need them. May we open our ears that we may hear, and our eyes that we may see the gifts we are given on a daily basis. In your name we pray. Amen.

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