Sunday, August 6, 2017

The White Egg on the Sidewalk








Walking along the shrub-lined entrance to my favorite Target store, I spotted a cracked white egg on the sidewalk - a bird's egg. I looked into the bush to my right to discover, deep inside the branches, hidden from casual passersby, the tail of a dove sitting on a nest.

I watched this beautiful scene for a few minutes, but saw no activity. The bird sat motionless.

I finally left and headed into the store with lots of questions.

"Was there really a dove in this bush outside a busy Target?"

"How could the bird find enough sticks to make a nest in an area surrounded by concrete and blacktop?"

"Were eggs in the nest?"

"If so, how could birds hatch in such a noisy environment?"

Half an hour later, finished with my shopping, I walked by the egg again. I stopped to peek in the bush and the dove was looking at me. "Got little ones in there?" I asked. She just stared.

I smiled and stepped back. On my way home I carried this precious image of serenity and peace. I marveled how the dove discovered a secluded spot in a bush with noise and confusion coming from children and adults walking on the sidewalk; with construction of a new pizza place less than 200 feet away that brought the rumble of bulldozers and cranes;  cars zooming by, with horns beeping occasionally; airplanes flying overhead - in other words, she was raising a family surrounded by noise everywhere.

The dove reminded me that it is possible to find a still, quiet place within my heart where God resides, despite the noise that I hear every day. If a dove can find such solace in a bush close to a busy store, I can too!

Reflection Question:

1. In your busy life, where do you find peace and quiet?

Prayer: God, thank you for reminders from animals that show us the way to life with you. Amen.


1 comment:

  1. You have the inquisitive mind of a scientist, a lifelong learner, and, well, a writer! You asked all those great questions, but then softly turned it to the deep question of how do any of us manage to find stillness in a busy world. As you know, that's a topic of great interest to me personally. I think many people have concluded that it's possible to find solace if we seek it within.

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