Hummingbird Whisperings: God’s Nectar for Your Soul (inspirational devotions)
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”
—James 1:17-18
He scurries quickly around the damp grass, gathering seeds and rotting plums stuffing quickly each morsel in his bulging mouth. Papa Squirrel is getting ready for the coming winter. Instinctively, he knows his responsibilities for survival today–food, water, shelter, and evade predators. Preparing for cold weather, and the scarcity of food drive his “disaster preparation” biological time clock. As I watch from the breakfast nook window, Jacques, in one powerful bang, forces the screen door open, charging into action. Papa Squirrel scampers to the safety of the backyard fence. Life can be so scary and challenging at times!
I wonder if we pause often enough to assess our own life situation, determining our preparedness if we were to lose our job, home, spouse, a child, or good health. Unexpected circumstances can pop up at any time and anywhere. Are you ready?
In the past few months, all the horrible shootings, horrendous weather disasters, and wildfires have so overwhelmed my mind and heart. Attempting to be an informed citizen, I watch the evening local and world news. In the past, horrific wildfires in Eastern Washington have caused ruin, destruction, and homelessness in the Methow Valley and the Lake Chelan area. Seeing the TV images, flashing in my living room, of burned-out neighborhoods in Santa Rosa and Paradise, due to California wildfires, left me with painful flashbacks.
There I am. A fourteen-year-old freshman watching our two-story ranch home burn to the ground, while the local firemen helplessly stand by. A 100-year-old tinderbox of shooting flames, fanned by the October winds slowly dies away. An unexpected and hopeless situation is my new reality. I am devastated, shocked, and I feel so vulnerable as our homelessness is obvious. I hold back my tears because in my family we don’t show or talk about our feelings. As the sun sets, I wonder where we will eat and sleep tonight. Will I have a place to do my homework and study for my biology test? I have no clean underwear for tomorrow. My family of six watched in horror as all our worldly possessions went up in smoke.
- We all were in shock and disbelief. We did not talk. We just watched.
- We lost everything but our livestock and farm equipment.
- I lost my precious, coveted fourteen-doll collection.
- We lost all our family photos and important documents, but no family member.
- I carry within me the chilling screams of my mother shouting at the firemen. “Larry is in there! Oh no!” My father drives up and she faints in his arms.
At the time we lived and ranched in rural Surprise Valley, in the northeastern corner of California. Our town, Cedarville, had a population of 600. Yep, a town with a “party line”, hitching posts in front of the post office, the general store, and the grocery store. My high school topped out at 100 students. Our neighbors and townspeople immediately found us an empty bunkhouse and cookhouse, rent-free for the next eight months, while the general store gifted each of us with pajamas and another change of clothing. God provided by using his people as his hands with open hearts and open minds.
Today, I see the same emotions across the faces of the newly uprooted hurricane, earthquake, and wildfire survivors. I see fear, hopelessness, and suffering on the faces of the detained and separated immigrant families. These are our fellow human beings, children of the same glorious God who created each one of us. My troubled heart repeats in silence, “There, but for the Grace of God, go I.”
I want to reach out to every one of them to offer a helping hand up out of the ashes, rubble, and shambles of their lives. Have I done what I am able to do for God’s people, without pausing to look at skin color, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, immigration status, or financial stability? What more can I do?
- I can pray. I can write encouraging cards via snail mail.
- I can donate my time and money.
- I can donate food, household items, and new clothing.
- I can donate new toys and stuffed animals for the affected children and teens.
- I can rally my family, friends, and church members to participate in fundraisers for victims.
I realize I cannot heal all their wounds or provide for all their basic needs. But at the same time, I am grateful for God’s Grace in my life and the opportunity and resources to ease the suffering of my fellow man caught in unexpected, life-threating experiences.
A “Harvest Prayer” from me to you. Blessings and prayers. God is good.
H: Hope comes from the mouth of one man to another.
A: Ask what you can do to help in the “harvest” in order to provide for the needs of others—spiritual, physical, and emotional.
R: Reach out and ask permission to hug someone.
V: Victory over the constant work of the devil by asking the Holy Spirit into your life.
E: Each of us is a gift to each other by how we listen, what we say, and what we do.
S: Sing out with praises to the Lord for all the blessings bestowed upon you and your family.
T: Teach your children about God, take them to church for worship, and end the day with prayer and gratefulness.