Breakfast in the Pond

   How easy it is to see truths in the early morning, before the world gets busy, but how hard to keep them in mind as the concerns of living take over my conscious thoughts.

   As I continued reading in Matthew 7, the next verse in my study stated (from The Message):

“Don’t be flip with the sacred. Banter and silliness give no honor to God. Don’t reduce holy mysteries to slogans. In trying to be relevant, you’re only being cute and inviting sacrilege."

   There are phrases that come to mind, ones that I speak sometimes, that are not given the correct reverence. They may be true, and maybe even come right out of Scripture, but come out of my mouth in a flippant way. Phrases such as:

   "Thy will be done"

   "One day at a time"

   I often think of the fact that this is indeed a brand new day. It may look like any others from the past when I gaze at the calendar, or my "to do" list, but it is unique, and I cannot know what will be the outcome. I need to be sincere when I look to God's will. It will be done.

   So I spent some time reading various passages before walking out in the cool of the morning. The sun was brightening the clouds as was usual. The dew was on the golf course, and I could see where some animals had been active from their tracks through the wet grass.

   But there was something different in the pond on #4. I could see movement in the water out in the middle. Something was making a slight wake as it moved first this way and then that. Usually the pond is smooth with maybe a few water bugs and wind ripples, but this was different.

   Then I realized it was "my friend" the gator that I had not seen in a few weeks. He (or she) was moving back and forth at a pretty good pace, purposely it seemed. Then a splash and silence, and I suppose, breakfast.

   I had not seen this happening before. My eyes seem to be drawn to that movement in the water, so I stopped to watch and see the cause. My usual walking is to move along, maybe taking note of the birds singing or the sky getting light, but today was different.

   Was it a reminder that this day was not the same as the ones that had preceded it?

  Will I get to the end of the hours of this day and realize that, indeed His will was done, and it was just not one of those "same ole days"?

   A reminder to be thankful for....