V: The Sign of the Red Bird

I love red birds! I've always heard that seeing one meant company was coming--it's a sign of good news! I hope so! I'm not expecting any company, but good news would be nice!!





As "C" described in her last post, we had rainstorms for most of the this weekend, and my mood has been dampened along with my yard. Our lawn is saturated; large branches have fallen and the dogs track in mud. The brief period it did not rain, I arrived at home and noticed that my dog, Dudley, was alerting me to something in the front garden. Since we live out in the country, my first suspicion was that it was a snake. Dudley was bitten by a poisonous snake a couple of years ago, his head swelled painfully and he HATES snakes!! I figured that his behavior indicated the presence of a snake. I went into the house to unload my packages, answered my cell phone, but Dudley's continued frantic barking from up on the porch compelled me to go take a look. Sure enough, coiled up in my garden amongst the spreading lemon balm, was an ugly, cottonmouth! And wouldn't you know, my husband was out of town on business! Last weekend, he broke the handle off the shovel while working on the patio, so I knew that weapon was of no use. HOW WAS I GOING TO KILL THAT SNAKE?!!!


I decided to call my son, but he didn't answer. I was walking towards my neighbor's yard to ask his assistance, when my son drove up the long driveway. I flagged him down, knowing that he loves the opportunity to do macho things like killing snakes! Sure enough he said, "I'm going to shoot that snake!" "Now look, our neighbor is over there and you are NOT going to shoot that snake", I yelled! "I'll get the pellet gun; it won't make any noise", he replied. So we shooed the dogs into the house and he took care of the snake for good!



We've lived in the country for a few years now and poisonous snakes are not new to me, but somehow the tornados and storms this week, along with the presence of that venomous snake in my lovely, peaceful garden was really unsettling! It reminds me of the presence of evil that seeks to discourage and undo us in our daily lives.




Yesterday morning, we had just a peek of sunshine before we were again deluged with rainstorms. But for a brief moment, there was another visitor in my garden! He sports bright red feathers and a cheeky expression. He loves the black sunflower seeds in my feeders. And hopefully he is a sign of sunshine to return and maybe even company is coming! I'll be more than ready!!

P.S. Just a note that having lived in tornado alley my entire life, I also experienced a frightening experience with a tornado 27 years ago when my son was only three weeks old. As I drove to school to pick my daughter up, the radio broadcast indicated that there were tornados all over town and indeed I saw many small funnel clouds dipping down from the stormy sky!!! The sirens were blasting as I grabbed my baby and ran into the school where we joined the crying children huddled with their teachers in the dark hallway. Terrified screams pierced the air as the "freight train" descended from the sky--NEVER will I ever forget that horrible sound!! I have never heard such wind before in my life! After what seemed like an eternity, but was actually just a couple of minutes, there was an eerie stillness and quiet. Realizing that the worst was over, we went outside where we discovered that cars had been moved about the parking lot, some with the glass blown out of the windows! As we drove off from the school, I had to turn around several times due to downed trees across several streets. Finding a unblocked street, we drove to a friend's house, where she welcomed me with a glass of wine! I don't particularly like wine, but I must say that it tasted really good that day! Three weeks later, on Christmas Eve, as we prepared to go church for my son's baptism, we had a repeat storm!! Tornados are common in our area in the spring, but it was a little freakish to have them in November and December! My prayers go out to all who lost so much this past weekend. It reminds me of how fragile and precious life is.



"And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, "Save us Lord; we are perishing." And he said to them "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?" Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?" Matthew 8:23-28

Our dependence is on the One who quieted the storm, and I am grateful for His protection