By Melissa Stone
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Ecclesiastes 3:11
It’s a rainy day and a Monday, and the Carpenters are singing in my head. But I like rainy days, and I like Mondays since my weekends are the busy times for me. I’m snuggled in my bed in my PJs listening to the quiet thunder and gentle rain as I write. Some may consider this type of day a “sad” day, but I’m a bit melancholy and I see beauty in certain types of sadness. (I am enjoying the rain, too, because my garden needs it!)
In my April post I was excited about finally attracting bluebirds to my garden. But I was concerned about my cat being attracted to them, too. Sadly, she got to the female, and the male abandoned the nest to find another mate. Knowing Baby Girl (or other neighborhood cats) would possibly get to future bluebirds, I decided to take the box down. Before removing it, I waited a few days then opened it to find these beautiful eggs and didn’t have the heart to dispose of the box right away. A few days later, I saw the eggs on the ground, and twigs over the pine needles: a wren was in the initial stages of making a nest and had pierced and expelled the eggs to do so. I didn’t want the wren(s) to succumb to Baby Girl’s curiosity, so I took the box down with the intent to burn it (so I didn't accidentally put it up again). But I changed my mind and decided to remove the front and turn it into a bee hotel for the solitary bees in my garden.
This process brought three praises to mind: -Praise God that the blood of Jesus renews us even though we deserve judgement and destruction (2 Corinthians 4:16-17; 5:17). -Praise God that He works all things—including the bad—for our good (Romans 8:28). -Praise God that He gives beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and praise for despair (Isaiah 61:3).
Even though I am saddened to see the bluebirds gone and the eggs unable to produce fledglings, I am thankful that God gave me the precious, sweet opportunity to enjoy their beauty. And one day, God will make all things new and remove the curse of sin. Until that time, I will still marvel in God and His creation. Though it is marred, it is still beautiful and declares His glory.