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Listen while you read: "In The Garden"1
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I went out early to my prayer chair, my favourite place to talk to the Lord. It was perfect, with a gentle breeze wafting across the grass that was still glistening from the dew that had fallen during the night. In the swaying trees that moved gently in the breeze, the birds were singing, each one their own tune. As I took in this beautiful scene, one of my favourite songs came to my mind: "In the Garden". I couldn't help but sing those beautiful words: "I come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses. And the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses." And as I raised my voice in the chorus, "And He walks with me and he talks with me and He tells me I am His own…", suddenly came a SQUAWK! SQUAWK! A small hawk, with a squawk like a full-grown eagle, dipped close to the ground in front of me and interrupted my special moment. Maybe he didn't like my singing! As I tried to recapture the mood, the crazy thing came again, swooping again and again close to my head! I tried to see what it was trying to get, but found nothing that looked like something this bird of prey could eat. What was this annoying little creature looking for? After several more passes over my head, he finally left me alone. Now trying to refocus, I tried to remember the words of the song that I was singing when I was so rudely interrupted. "And the joy we share as we tarry there none other has ever known."
My feathered friend had intruded into my moment. He had interrupted my life by swooping in unexpectedly and threatening my joy. His persistence nearly derailed my time with God, but as I tarried in the garden of His presence, I was able to share His joy in spite of the hawk squawk!
I think of the times when life and its problems have dive-bombed my spirit unexpectedly and how I have ducked and swayed and nearly lost my joy to the enemy who squawked his lies at me. It usually happens when I need to spend time in the garden with the Lord, but sometimes, it is when my heart is fullest that the enemy tries his hardest to swoop in and pluck my joy from me. In those times, I need to tarry in His presence all the more! Praise God that He allows us to share in His joy!
So, when you hear a hawk squawk, duck and tarry!
Psalm 28:7 – The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. (NLT)
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, we come to You with full hearts, even as we lift to You the squawking of our world. Its brokenness brings a desire to sit with You in the garden of Your peace. Amen.
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About the author:
Jeanie Nihiser <jnihiserj@gmail.com>
Geneseo, New York, USA
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Amen Jeanie.
Very thoughtful!
Indeed! Blessings.
Encouraging words, Jeanie.
Oh Jeanie how I love your devotions! They speak right to heart every time.
Thank you, Jeanie. What a great metaphor for Satan swooping in and trying to mess with our lives!
Thank you so much for this devotional! How true to my and my family’s life right now! God bless you for sharing.
Hi Jeanie,
I may not be equating a hawk with the devil but your advice to “duck and tarry!” is very appropriate at all times. Thank you for the reminder.
God bless.
Hey, Jeanie! I liked how you had an area for prayer. And your story was comical and insightful! Today I will remember to dodge the enemy when he is trying to take my joy and the brokenness of this world causes us to draw closer to God. Thank you for that reminder.
Thank you for sharing this encouraging devotional with us. To God be the glory! Thanks to your vivid word picture, I could visualize the swooping bird, feel the gentle breeze as it swooped, and hear it’s raucous squawk as it attempted to join you in praising God. Sadly, it could not sing as sweetly as you do. Blessings.
Jeanie, thank you for pointing out our distracting squawking world that interrupts our awareness of God’s presence.
A noisy cawing crow in the tree above my patio chair interrupts my quiet time in the same way as your hawk. But I’m distracted more often by my own undisciplined thought.
Good morning, Jeanie,
You help me to feel that I am in the garden with you and singing along. I think the hawk was enjoying your song and came to visit. It is so true that we should not let anything take away our JOY. Thanks for sharing and encouraging and beautiful message. Blessings.
Dear Jeanie, what a beautiful devotional you have delivered today! I, too enjoy the hymn, “In The Garden” and you did a great way of referring to its words in your composition today. We sure need reflect more on the beauties of our world that God has created, instead of all the dreadful happenings we hear about each day. Blessings for your very special writing presented today.
Your hawk encounter reminded me of one I had with a hummingbird. I was working in my veggie garden when a hummingbird flew up and twittered directly in my face. Then it did it a few more times. I was baffled about what it could want. The same day I was stung by wasps while pulling weeds. The next day the title of the PresbyCan devotion was ‘Hummingbirds and Wasps’ ! I read it VERY carefully and it was a reminder about the importance of reading scripture. I feel that God was trying to get my attention the previous day! Keep your eyes open since God may be trying to get your attention as well!
I LOVE this – duck and tarry! Great advice!! Thank you.
Sitting on my front porch I rejoice in the beauty of God’s creation and His peace.
I too used one of my two favourite chairs. One on the deck and / or one in our sitting room. Blessings.